US BESS developer Viridi has announced a partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to support research into next-generation utility grid technologies.

As part of the partnership, announced on July 28, Viridi installed its lithium ion-based RPS 150 BESS at ORNL’s Grid Research Innovation and Development Center (GRID-C) as part of the testing platform for a Department of Energy resource integration and evaluation project.

Viridi said the research began with ORNL developing a system for controlling clusters of grid resources to meet utility needs.

The developed technology was first tested in an indoor laboratory using emulated energy sources and battery storage — and followed up with testing in a live grid with real resources to correct any issues emerging from complex equipment interactions and real-world battery charging dynamics.

ORNL integrated its converter system with Viridi’s battery to validate the technology. Testing has now concluded and ORNL is expected to present the project’s findings in the coming months.

Viridi said its trailer-BESS design is suitable for off-grid power supply, grid reinforcement, emergency backup and renewable energy self-consumption from sources like wind and solar.

Battery packs incorporate advanced fire suppression and pioneering anti-propagation technology. Viridi said its proprietary design isolates each cell to prevent thermal runaway, ensuring that a single failure does not escalate.

“Being selected by ORNL to support the project is a milestone for Viridi and a validation of what we have built,” said Viridi CEO Jon Williams.

“We built Viridi’s fail-safe BESS to perform in exactly these kinds of environments, and we are proud to be partnering with ORNL to advance the grid modernisation solutions that utilities across the country need.”