June 17, 2021: A formal agreement to evaluate a combination of 6V and 24V silicon joule batteries was signed on June 15 between Taiwanese battery firm Pilot and the silicon joule wafer creator Gridtential.
The agreement has been hailed by the firms as one that ‘could kickstart a new era of Taiwanese and Asian Pacific battery production for the energy storage systems market’.
Using development kits by Gridtential, Pilot will produce prototype batteries to prepare for future production. “Pilot will integrate its own active material in the battery to validate impact on cycle life, energy density, battery efficiency, charging rates and manufacturability,” say the firms.
Pilot Battery makes lead carbon and VRLA batteries for applications from UPS to SLI.
According to the firms, the Taiwanese government has set a target of 27GW of renewable energy installation capacity by 2025, which will need energy storage alongside.
“The AGM market will be examined closely as a good solution for that increased demand,” it says.
Gridtential says its silicon joule wafer technology increases the power density of a battery by five times and the discharge rate by two, with a 75% lower levelized cost of electricity than conventional lead-acid batteries.
“The superior treatment for the silicon wafer we’ve developed from many decades in the solar industry could make a great match with the silicon joule bipolar design,” said Pilot president Chunyi Hong.
Gridtential has 12 licensing agreements with battery makers for its silicon joule design.