August 21, 2024: Dutch company ESS4U has launched a new residential battery system based on “tried and trusted lead acid technology”, developed with support from Exide Technologies.
Exide confirmed in a LinkedIn post on August 15 it had supported development of the ‘Qurmit’ gel residential BESS by the Dutch startup, in collaboration with the VDL Groep.
Exide said it worked with ESS4U’s parent company — industrial off-grid PV installations designer and supplier TSS4U — on what it described as a specialized charging regime that markedly enhances the cycling and longevity of Exide’s own Sonnenschein A600 solar batteries.
ESS4U chief technology officer Jan-Willem Linsen acknowledged in an interview with a Dutch publication that the innovative ‘Qurmit’ had its roots in an established technology, saying: “The advantages are numerous.
“It’s a one of a kind because it is based on gel lead acid battery tech that we have been using for years.”
Linsen said each Qurmit unit, which measures 128x73x48 centimetres, has a charging capacity of 2 kW and a discharge capacity of 2.4 kW. Testing has been conducted over the past year.
“You can use it in combination with any PV inverter. It can easily be linked to other energy management systems and can be installed plug-and-play and used, among other things, for more self-consumption of electricity from solar panels, energy trading with a dynamic contract and emergency power supply.”
Linsen said the battery “may be a little heavier than a lithium battery”, but it can be placed indoors and outdoors and works from -40°C to +55°C. “No energy is lost due to active cooling or heating, which also makes it quiet.”
Thanks in part to the charging regime, Linsen said Qurmit has up to 9,000 charging cycles guaranteed, depending on usage, which he claimed to be equivalent to a lifespan of up to 20 years.
All components are sourced in Europe and nothing comes from China, he added.
“Moreover, with a price, installed and excluding VAT, of less than €10,000 ($11,000), our home battery is competitive with lithium storage systems with comparable capacity from those regions.
“Everyone knows the disadvantages of lithium ion batteries. Critical raw materials are used, and extraction is associated with great damage to the environment and people. The chance of a thermal runaway is small, but if it does happen, it can lead to a fierce, barely extinguishable fire, an explosion or the release of toxic gases.”
On marketing plans for Qurmit, Linsen said the company would be satisfied with only “a few hundred sales” this year, then run into thousands in 2025.
