NY-BEST™ News and Notes

Walmart Canada Corp projects major productivity savings offsetting its investment in a fleet of Crown Equipment Corp PC4500 pallet trucks utilising Plug Power Inc GenDrive-brand hydrogen fuel cells.

HUDSON — If the Capital Region is going to become a major center for advanced manufacturing and renewable energy technologies, the workforce has to be trained even before college. That's the approach educators at Questar III's Columbia-Greene Educational Center here in Hudson are taking with their students.

A new report from the Brookings Institution [PDF] finds investment in clean energy is paying off for New York. Brookings found that the states known to have clean energy funds have invested $2.7 billion in renewable energy in the past decade. And they're seeing that investment come back four-fold. "It's important to do everything". The report notes that New York invested $15.6 million in clean and renewable energy in fiscal year 2010, and has sunk $114 million into energy development over the past dozen years.

U.S. auto-safety regulators are pleased with General Motors Co. (GM)'s plan to fix its Volt electric cars following fires in crash testing, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland said. GM, based in Detroit, told owners last week to bring their Volts back to dealerships to have steel added to shield the cars' lithium-ion batteries. Strickland's agency opened an investigation into the Volt's battery in November.

On Thursday GM announced it had engineered an expedient but effective solution to post-crash-test battery fires reported by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, and will ask Chevrolet Volt drivers to return to their dealers for the one-day reinforcing procedure. Despite ongoing distortions of facts by critics including one Fox News pundit who suggested the vehicle might "blow up," federal authorities have repeated that the Volt is safe and GM says its voluntary measure is intended to keep showing why the Volt is rated #1 in customer satisfaction.

When General Motors cancelled its EV1 electric car in 2003, some called it a technology tragedy. The cars, which could travel around 60 miles on a single charge of their lead-acid batteries, were taken off the roads and crushed. Protesters staged a mock funeral; others accused GM of failing intentionally. While GM never revealed the actual cost of building an EV1 (the vehicles were only leased, not sold), the company had invested $1.5 billion in the project. But it declared the car an economic failure with no chance of reaching a mass market.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo touted Albany's hub of high-tech research and computer-chip manufacturing in his State of the State speech on Wednesday. Cuomo held it up as a model for what he wants to achieve in Buffalo—where he wants to spend $1 billion of economic development aid over the next few years."There is a vibrancy in the Capital District region around nanotechnology that would not have happened but for the state's investment," Cuomo said.

Battery developer Eos Energy Storage claims to have solved key problems holding back a battery technology that could revolutionize grid energy storage. If the company is right, its zinc-air batteries will be able to store energy for half the cost of additional generation from natural gas—the method currently used to meet peak power demands.

ApplicationsFeaturesSolar Power Battery Storage: New chemistries and old "It's cheaper to generate an electron than to store one," said Jim Greenburger, executive director of the US-based National Alliance for Advanced Technology Batteries. "The function of storage is to help the generator to deliver steady power."When the ability to create an electron from sunlight is easier, more efficient and possible at various scales, there's good reason to explore how best to tie stored solar energy into the electrical infrastructure. Energy storage helps balance operating reserves, acts as a...

LATHAM, NY - In another step in its drive towards profitability, fuel cell producer Plug Power Inc. announced the sale of more than 200 GenDrive fuel cell units to three Procter & Gamble Co. plants. The total value for the order that was due to be filled by the end of last year was on the...

Fuel cells for consumer electronics are one of those technologies that always seem poised for mainstream adoption but never quite make it. A New York-based chemicals company says that will finally change in 2012 with the release of a portable fuel cell charger that can power up cellphones and other mobile devices. Two recently published patent applications also indicate that Apple is investigating similar technology for its portable computing devices. That could prompt other gadget makers to adopt fuel cell charging.

Currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate students from accredited New York State colleges and universities are invited to submit business plans around a student-born innovation that is designed for a currently unmet need. The top applications will be selected by an external panel of judges to present in the final round of the New York State Business Plan Competition and compete for over $100,000 in cash prizes. pplications for the 2012 competition must be received by Thursday, March 29, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST

DNV, a Norway-based provider of risk-management services, has invested heavily in energy services firm (and NY-BEST member) KEMA, having acquired nearly three-quarters of the company's shares. DNV and KEMA say they will form a "world-leading energy consulting, testing and certification company" that will comprise KEMA's 1,800 employees and 500 employees from DNV's renewable energy and sustainability units.

Energy consulting, testing and certification will be the focus of a new global company being formed by risk management services foundation DNV and independent consulting, testing and certification company KEMA. DNV has acquired 74.3% OF KEMA's shares to establish the new venture. The new company, DNV KEMA, will include all of KEMA's 1,800 employees and 500 employees from DNV's renewable energy and sustainability business.

MAYOR BLOOMBERG, CORNELL PRESIDENT SKORTON AND TECHNION PRESIDENT LAVIE ANNOUNCE HISTORIC PARTNERSHIP TO BUILD A NEW APPLIED SCIENCES CAMPUS ON ROOSEVELT ISLAND. Cornell University-Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Consortium Selected to Build 11-Acre State-of-the-Art Tech Campus on Roosevelt Island; Will Receive $100 Million in City Capital. Temporary Off-Site Campus Will Be Open in 2012; First Phase of Fully-Funded Permanent Campus To Be Completed By No Later Than 2017.

In a hangarlike building where General Electric once assembled steam turbines, a $100 million battery manufacturing facility is being constructed to make products using a chemistry never before commercialized on such a large scale. The sodium–metal halide batteries it will produce have been tested and optimized over the last few years by a team of materials scientists and engineers at GE's sprawling research center just a few miles away.

Dan Akerson is hardly a corporate diplomat.The chairman and chief executive of General Motors Co. says publicly what other CEOs say in private: He disses competitors' cars and laments his company's lumbering bureaucracy. He has told reporters that Ford should "sprinkle holy water" on its troubled Lincoln luxury brand and has called Toyota's Prius hybrid a "geekmobile." His candor often rattles the nerves of GM's public relations staff. And you know what makes him really mad? "There is a resistance to change" at GM.

The installation proceeded at the Solvay Interox chemical plant in Warrington, Cheshire. According to Runcorn based ACAL, the system is capable of producing 3kW of gross electrical power and will provide power to a remote environmental monitoring system located at the facility. In designing and commissioning the system, the company met the requirements of a formal 'HAZOP' review and on site safety requirements for installation at a COMAH 1 category chemical plant.

Saddled with the high upfront costs currently attached to the early electric production cars, the new driving lifestyle will drastically affect the refueling environment for consumers. Whether a full EV (electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid model, charging of a vehicle’s battery pack will see private parking lots or garage become an active hub for the operations of electric cars. For the most part cancelling-out the trip to the gas station, electrified vehicles would ideally be completely ready for a complete zero emissions run over a reasonable, unobtrusive course of time. Owners of...

Turner Construction Company, Arizona will celebrate the Topping Out of the new innovative Colonel Smith Middle School today, Monday, December 12 at 2:30 pm. The public, replacement school is being built on Fort Huachuca, the Army's leading intelligence training facility in Arizona. The new Colonel Smith Middle School will be Arizona's first Net Zero Energy Building in Arizona and 12th in the nation. The $17M school will generate more energy than it consumes on an annual basis through its energy-efficient design, solar potable water heating, photovoltaic panels, and wind machines.

For Immediate Release: December 9, 2011
Contact: Angelina Berghela, NY-BEST
Email: angie@caphill.com
Phone: 518.694.8474

Albany, NY- The New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BEST) applauds Governor Cuomo’s commitment to battery and energy storage technology advancement in New York State in response to his announcement yesterday, granting development funding to seven NY-BEST members totaling over $15 million, including the NY-...

The Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council was awarded $68.8 million in state funding for 93 projects Thursday, the culmination of a four-month statewide competitive process.The funding also includes $3.5 million for NY-BEST’s Battery and Energy Storage Product Commercialization Center.

Albany, NY The Clean Energy Patent Growth Index was at its highest quarterly total ever in the 3d quarter topping the previous record set in 4Q 2010. Wind, solar and hybrid/electric patents reached new highs and GE repeated as the winner of the quarterly Clean Energy patent Crown. Japan led New York which passed California to move into second place."

The battery maker Saft, which employs more than 4,000 people worldwide, has just opened its 16th manufacturing plant and stands poised to re-enter the road electric vehicle market with unprecedented depth of experience and new product offerings.

Bad news for the electric power grid is usually good news for the fuel-cell industry. Thanks to a series of severe storms that clobbered electric-power grids in New York and Connecticut recently, the fuel-cell industry appears poised for a modest to massive growth spurt. Ascension Industries, a NY-BEST member, provides equipment to FuelCell Energy, one of the leaders in the fuel cell industry.

Plug Power could turn the corner very soon and join the elite club of clean energy companies making a profit.The maker of hydrogen-powered fuel cells used in forklift trucks, which employs roughly 150 people in Latham, says it is on track to achieve profitability in 2012. Company officials are traveling to a variety of high-tech and investment conferences in coming weeks to get that message across, including Reid Hislop, the company's vice president of marketing and investor relations, who is in San Francisco on Wednesday speaking at Baird's 2011 Clean Technology Conference.

Thousands of battery-powered forklifts (most with fuel cells from NY-BEST member Plug Power) in warehouses across the U.S. will haul everything from frozen turkeys and cured hams to big-screen TVs and tablet computers this holiday season. A growing number of big-name businesses that operate such warehouses have begun deploying forklifts that run on fuel cells as a way to both save money and go green.

Zero-emission trucks sold in New York will now come with $20,000 checks from the Feds via the state, thanks to a new incentive program designed to improve air quality and the environment. State officials will unveil the program on Tuesday in the Bronx and leading electric truck manufacturer Smith Electric Vehicles will confirm plans to build a $5 million factory in the borough.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has awarded $200,000 to Solid Cell Inc., a Rochester-based manufacturer of solid-oxide fuel cells and equipment. The company is matching NYSERDA’s investment, with help from RocCera, a Rochester-based company specializing in advanced ceramic component manufacturing, and Alfred University. The company will use the funding to investigate the manufacturing of a vital, patent-pending fuel-cell part called the “interconnect” out of a ceramic material.

A proprietary set of Ioxus technologies balances cell performances within the module. �It�s like having multiple horses pulling a sleigh and all the horses pulling in the same direction,� Ioxus CEO Mark McGough explained. Better than any such effort to date, according to McGough, Ioxus power electronics technologies harness ultracaps and balances the cells with lower equivalent series resistance, which he said translates to lower heat generation and higher power output.

New York State is launching a five year program to accelerate adoption of commercial electric vehicles and help fleets switch over. The program offers financial incentives over multiple years to encourage companies to convert significant portions of their fleets. Companies will get vouchers for up to $20,000 per electric vehicle they purchase that's over 10,000 pounds.

New York would never be mistaken for the Motor City, but on Tuesday, Smith Electric Vehicles announced that it intended to assemble electric trucks in the South Bronx, adding 100 jobs to the region. A package of more than $6 million in state and city incentives sweetened the deal.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) added two hybrid/diesel buses to its fleet to transport visitors at Prospect Mountain in Lake George and other DEC-operated recreational facilities in the Adirondacks and Catskills DEC Commissioner Joe Martens announced today. The buses are replacing less fuel-efficient vehicles recently taken out of service due to deterioration from corrosion.

The Federal Regulatory Energy Commission recently�passed a mandate to support energy storage technologies that can provide quick bursts of power to the grid to help it run more smoothly.�This new rule could play a crucial role in nurturing the growth of the young energy storage market, though energy storage companies won�t be the only beneficiaries of the new rule.

Plug Power, a hydrogen fuel cell supplier for material handling operations, announced it plans to form a joint venture with Axane, a subsidiary of Air Liquide that develops fuel cells, with the intent of supplying fuel cell products for the European material handling market.

General Electric has taken to renewable energy in a big way. Last April, the company was said to have already invested over $600 million into the industry, and have recently announced plans for a giant solar-manufacturing plant and have agreed to supply 70MW of wind turbines to areas in France.

The Electricity Storage Association (ESA) has signed agreements to work with industry groups in three states--California, New York and Texas. The California Energy Storage Alliance (CESA), New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY-BES+) and Texas Energy Storage Alliance (TESA) were formed by companies operating in their respective states joining together to accomplish mutually beneficial policy goals at the state level.

KEMA, a global provider of business and technical consulting, says it will partner with NorthWestern Energy to connect approximately 200 Montana utility customers to the smart grid as part of the Pacific Northwest Smart Grid Demonstration Project. In addition to installing home area network equipment, KEMA will work with customers on equipment use and benefits, and manage the educational components of the campaign.

The news coverage of Beacon Power’s bankruptcy has focused on the $43 million loan it got from the same Department of Energy program that backed the bankrupt Solyndra. But Beacon left a beating heart in the form of a flywheel farm humming with megawatts of energy feeding into the grid today -- and it may get a lifeline from a recent regulatory ruling.

Another wind farm opened on another windy ridge in West Virginia this week, 61 turbines stretched across 12 miles, generating up to 98 megawatts of electricity. But the novel element is a cluster of big steel boxes in the middle, the largest battery installation attached to the power grid in the continental United States.

For the Arizona project Saft was chosen by SOLON Corporation, a leading provider of utility-scale and commercial photovoltaic (PV) system solutions to the North American market , to provide a Li-ion battery for their Energy Storage Management Research and Testing (SMRT) site. The design and construction of the site will be managed by SOLON, in conjunction with Tucson Electric Power (TEP) and the Arizona Research Institute for Solar Energy (AzRISE) at the University of Arizona.

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York announced that they have successfully developed a new method of converting waste heat into electricity by altering zinc oxide’s material properties.

Battery technology has helped untether us all from electrical cords, but there’s a price to being portable.That’s why a small, start-up company outside of Albany, called Paper Battery, is working to change the way we store our energy.

Ioxus has created an ultracapacitor module that will relieve its customers of the work of harnessing ultracap cells.

NYSERDA has awarded $200,000 to Solid Cell Inc., a Rochester-based manufacturer of solid-oxide fuel cells and equipment. The company is matching NYSERDA�s investment, with help from RocCera, a Rochester-based company specializing in advanced ceramic component manufacturing, and Alfred University. The company will use the funding to investigate the manufacturing of a vital, patent-pending fuel-cell part called the �interconnect� out of a ceramic material.

ACAL Energy has completed the build of its first field test system of its FlowCath platinum-free liquid cathode fuel cell technology, producing gross power of 3kW. The company has also achieved a new record single-cell peak performance power density of nearly 900 mW/cm2.

The Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas will honor its 2011 business and citizen of the year winners at its annual dinner Nov. 9 at Banchetti’s banquet hall.

General Motors Co. said Wednesday that it will start selling an all-electric Chevrolet small car for the U.S. market in 2013.

The lure of discounted solar power helped persuade Unifrax to move its corporate headquarters to a Town of Tonawanda business park from Niagara Falls.

General Electric Company (Fairfield, Connecticut) is currently under way with construction on a $100 million battery plant for its GE Power & Water Division at the company's campus in Schenectady, New York.

When it comes to moving the energy innovation ball forward, every region of the state — and possibly every state in the union — is trying to figure out alternatives to being dependent on foreign suppliers.

South Korea's Samsung SDI Co. (006400.SE) said Thursday it signed an agreement with Japan's Nichicon Corp. (6996.TO) to start supplying energy storage systems to Japanese households from the first half of next year.

South Korea'sSamsung SDI Co. said Thursday it signed an agreement with Japan's Nichicon Corp. to start supplying energy storage systems to Japanese households from the first half of next year.

Nissan and General Electric are partnering to research ways for electric vehicles such as Nissan's Leaf to connect with homes and electric grids, the companies said Friday.

General Electric may lease costly vehicle batteries to electric-car buyers, joining other companies looking to get more people to buy alternative-energy automobiles.

Arun Majumdar, Director of the Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), today announced 60 cutting-edge research projects aimed at dramatically improving how the U.S. produces and uses energy.

Waste heat is a byproduct of nearly all electrical devices and industrial processes, from driving a car to flying an aircraft or operating a power plant. Engineering researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed new nanomaterials that could lead to techniques for better capturing and putting this waste heat to work.

Saft has inaugurated the world's most advanced automated lithium-ion battery factory, in Jacksonville, Florida. This high-volume, state-of-the-art production facility is dedicated to building advanced lithium-ion cells and batteries for energy storage for renewable energy, smart grid support, broadband back-up power, transportation and defense.

Ultralife Corporation announced the introduction of the GenSet Eliminator(TM), a patent pending, innovative storage and power system designed to reduce fuel consumption and maintenance costs by 25% - 30% for defense and commercial applications.

The truck, seen for the first time at last week's RWM (Recycling Waste Management) show, at the NEC, will go to an unnamed local authority – one of Dennis Eagle's existing customers – on full fleet road trials in the next few days.

Automotive entrepreneur Gordon Murray has struck a new deal to investigate building an affordable fuel cell research vehicle over the next 12 months.

General Motors recently announced its partnership with the LG Group for jointly designing and developing electric vehicles.

When you think about Green Energy and its jobs, Albany, N.Y., probably wouldn't be the first city that pops into your head. But according to a report, the upstate New York region has the highest concentration of green jobs in the country. Another surprising area in the top 10: Cleveland and northeast Ohio.

The latest in the series of University At Buffalo—NYSERDA Directed Energy workshops was on Energy Storage in Amherst, New York, on May 10. The slate of speakers covered pumped water storage, compressed air storage and the role of the ISO in balancing supply and demand.

Thirty-four Rochester-area companies made the 2011 Inc. magazine list of the nation's 5,000 fastest-growing companies. Companies were ranked by revenue growth from 2007 through 2010. To qualify, a company had to be privately held and independent as of the end of 2010. Some Rochester-area companies on the list have since been acquired.

General Motors Co. and South Korea's LG Corp. will jointly develop a new lineup of battery-powered vehicles in an unusual pairing aimed at slashing the cost and time it takes to create electric cars.

MicroGen Systems, a startup based in Ithaca, New York, is developing energy-harvesting chips designed to power wireless sensors like those used to monitor tire pressure and environmental condition. The company is partnering with Cornell University.

Electric cars, which have come and gone at least twice since the dawn of the automobile era, are back. The first mass-market EVs are here and more are rolling silently over the horizon. The Obama administration loves cars with cords and wants 1 million on the road by 2015.

General Motors has confirmed that an electric vehicle under the Cadillac brand is to enter series production.

With major U.S. corporations holding tens of billions of dollars in cash on their balance sheets, a financing tool for renewable energy projects that lost its luster during the credit crunch at the end of 2008 is staging a comeback.

General Motors has signed a production deal with Waltham’s A123 Systems to supply lithium ion batteries for the Detroit carmaker’s future electric vehicles.

The U.S. Department of Energy today announced nearly $7 million over five years for independent cost analyses that will support research and development efforts for fuel cells and hydrogen storage systems.

General Motors, the world's biggest car maker, predicts that four million electric vehicles a year will be built by 2020.

Few would argue that energy storage is going to play a key role in our energy future. Mandates for renewable energy portfolios alone make energy storage critical for load leveling against the intermittency of wind and solar.

AAA Auto Clubs are rolling out mobile electric vehicle (EV) charging services to their members who drive vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf or the Chevy Volt PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle).

The CLEAN ENERGY PATENT GROWTH INDEX (CEPGI), published quarterly by the Cleantech Group at Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. provides an indication of the trend of innovative activity in the Clean Energy sector.

General Motors plans to amp up its production of the Chevy Volt to 5,000 cars a month to keep up with the Nissan Leaf.

Adding to the growing chorus surrounding EVs are a pair of status updates from two of the biggest players in the automotive industry. Ford has revealed how the batteries of its hybrid taxi fleet are holding up, while General Motors announced progress on its work finding a second life for its Chevy Volt batteries once they have fulfilled their first use.

In the report “Sizing the Clean Economy” released July 15, 2011 by the Brookings Institute, New York State ranked the highest in battery technology jobs. The report, a national and regional green jobs assessment, is the first of its kind providing a unique insight about the size, span and significance of the clean economy.

ACAL Energy has partnered with Gordon Murray Design in a 12-month-long project to design a low-cost, lightweight fuel cell vehicle. Putting those three pieces together in one vehicle may seem nigh impossible, but you never know for sure unless you try, right?

Some excess power on New York's electrical grid is being stored short-term in 200 flywheel batteries that can zap the power back into the system within seconds when needed.

Plug Power Inc. announced that it has completed the sale of 231,000 additional shares of common stock, pursuant to the underwriter’s exercise of its over-allotment option in connection with Plug Power’s recently announced public offering of common stock and warrants, resulting in additional net proceeds to Plug Power of $517,624 after underwriting discounts and commissions and other offering expenses.

The technology contained in a new, first-of-its-kind 20-megawatt flywheel energy storage facility has the potential to make renewable sources of power such as wind and solar even more viable in the coming decades.

If you think twirling the mass of a family car hundreds of times a second is an unlikely way to keep power grids humming at perfect pitch, think again. Flywheel developer Beacon Power Corp., based in Tyngsboro, Mass., is already making money that way in Stephentown, N.Y., where it operates more than 160 1150-kilogram magnetically levitated flywheel motor-generators.

Michigan is poised to make about 20 percent of the world's lithium ion batteries for autos, as the market for battery-powered hybrid and electric cars expands to a projected 1.7 million vehicles by 2015, according to a panel of experts at the Detroit Economic Club Wednesday.

Industrial giant General Electric has joined the EV Engineering consortium that is looking to develop a fully-electric version of the Holden Commodore that will include battery switching capabilities. The addition of GE to the consortium, which already includes Bosch, Air International, Continental and Futuris, as well as electric vehicle infrastructure and services provider Better Place, comes as Holden warned of the future of manufacturing in the country because of the scaling down of federal green car initiatives.

Beginning this month, Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated's (CCBCC) Charlotte production facility began operating a fleet of 40 counterbalanced class one lift trucks powered by hydrogen fuel cells from Plug Power.

General Motors showcased a battery-powered version of the Chevrolet Beat in New Delhi, India. The electrified Beat is part of an ongoing demonstration project focused on studying the feasibility of electric vehicles in major metropolitan areas.

By using GE-developed SiC technology, we have the potential to reduce the weight on the aircraft by more than 400 lbs. while also delivering higher performance and freeing up precious cargo space, said Vic Bonneau, president of Electrical Power for GE Aviation, Systems.

Hydrogen generation and fuell cell product developer and manufacturer Hydrogenics announced that it has successfully completed an innovative trial with Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) demonstrating the viability of its electrolyser technology for utility-scale grid stabilisation.

Electrovaya Inc. (TSX:EFL) today announced that it has signed a contract to supply Chrysler with Lithium Ion SuperPolymer® battery systems for 25 Town and Country minivans that will be part of a demonstration fleet of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) that Chrysler Group LLC has developed in partnership with the United States Department of Energy.

The story of American manufacturing over the past two decades has too often been a tale of outsourcing, off-shoring, and downsizing—not least in Upstate New York, which has probably seen more than its fair share of factory shutdowns and job losses in recent years.

The Cleantech Group at Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. today published the Shine-On Solar edition of the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI). The Shine On Solar edition provides an indication of the trends in innovative activity in the Solar energy sector including leading solar patent owners and geographic areas.

Saft was selected by Viridity Energy to design, manufacture and commission the battery, which will also be one of the first dual purpose trackside energy storage systems in the US.

The new van-like compact car, due out next year, will be available in the U.S. in two hybrid versions. One of those, the C-Max Energi, will be a plug-in hybrid with capabilities similar to those of GM's (GM, Fortune 500) Volt but with a much longer total driving range.

The somewhat volatile metal, number eleven on the periodic table of the elements, is increasingly finding its way into the business plans and prototypes of energy storage companies.

Cycle Capital Management (Cycle Capital) Inc. today announced a $2.5 million Cycle Capital Fund I LP investment in a new company, American Aerogel Corporation (AAC), that develops and commercializes Aerocore(R), a more efficient thermal insulation.

The State Energy Planning Board is soliciting comments on draft regulations that outline the conduct of the state energy planning process, as guided by the enabling legislation (Article 6 of the Energy Law). Comment period ends July 11, 2011

Tucked in the village of Honeoye Falls down a quiet side street is a nondescript two-building campus where about 360 top scientists are developing hydrogen fuel cells for General Motors. They're locked in a high-stakes race with Japan, Germany and South Korea to bring zero-emissions vehicles to the public.

Siemens has a budget of more than 1 000 000 euros in order to translate your ideas into innovation by collaborating with universities. Siemens also aims to translate the resulting mature innovations into products, services and solutions and is therefore planning additional significantly larger investments. Join the grid - energize the world.

Money continues to pour into clean-tech ventures as world events dictate a serious look at alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and electric cars.

GE has launched a new project called the EV Solar Carport, which will use solar power and smart grid technology to fully charge electric vehicles (EVs) via six Level 2 GE EV charging stations and to power the overhead lighting in the parking lot.

Samsung SDI said on Friday it would invest 2.2 trillion won ($2 billion) in the solar battery business by 2015 to generate 3.5 trillion won in revenue from a new business it is acquiring from its affiliate Samsung Electronics .

Produced as a joint project with the United States Department of Energy, a 140-vehicle fleet of Ram 1500 Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) will be evaluated through true truck activities. Set for deployment across United States government branches as well as to power utilities, the crew cab pickup trucks are another step in the study of electric assist gasoline vehicles.

Senate Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications meets with Dr. William P. Acker, Executive Director of the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium, Inc.

Believe it or not, a majority of consumers around the world (60 percent) would now consider buying an electric car for their next purchase, says a new Accenture survey. Within three years, 68 percent said they’d consider it.

These days, “green” technology is not only environmentally responsible; it’s also good for business. The automotive industry in particular has seen a welcome resurgence thanks in no small part to “green” cars — all electric vehicles, hybrid gas/electrics, and plain old fuel efficiency improvements on combustion engine mainstays.

Daimler and Renault are currently in talks over a battery tie-up, which would see the French company enter into Daimler's Li-Tec battery joint venture with Evonik, the person told Reuters on Thursday.

When the Long Island Power Authority said last summer that it was going to need new power capacity in the next few years, most people assumed that meant new generating stations or new transmission cables. But of the 16 companies that submitted proposals, one, AES Energy Storage, took an entirely different tack: it proposed batteries.

A New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) award will help support the design, development, prototyping, scale-up and installation of the large scale lithium ion energy storage system. The system will integrate lithium ion batteries, ultracapacitors and renewable-energy generation sources, including wind and solar, and will allow utility companies and renewable energy generators to intelligently manage energy for consumption or storage.

Under the terms of the settlement, it would pay a $79 million penalty over three years. That amount could be reduced by $10 million due to extra export compliance measures already implemented and those planned to be implemented over a four-year period

Scientists at the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory and University of Texas – Austin have devised a method of using the atom thin carbon sheets that is a massive boost in the search for practical supercapacitor materials.

Samsung SDI, the global leader in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, partnered with Germany’s leading automotive parts maker Robert Bosch to form SB LiMotive, a car battery joint venture, in 2008. In the following year, SB LiMotive kickstarted a brand-new car battery production line in South Korea and also acquired U.S.-based battery maker Cobasys to strengthen its expertise in battery development and services.

Plug Power saw its most successful quarter in the company's history during the first quarter of 2011, primarily based on the unprecedented number of commercial orders it received. Order ramp-up, year over year, has legitimized the GenDrive business for Plug Power, and helped illustrate the commercial traction driving the company toward profitability.

An upstate New York intellectual property law firm that produces a growth index for clean tech patents has found that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) granted nearly twice as many patents in 2010 over nearly every given year since the index was first tracked.

A bipartisan bill that would award $4 billion for manufacturing and deployment of electric vehicles in 10 U.S. communities has been introduced in Congress.

Naza and General Electric have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore potential collaboration in Malaysia in three areas - opportunities in the electric vehicle (EV) sector, the implementation of sustainable property development and opportunities in the healthcare services field.

A webinar on financing the commercial potential of energy storage technology will be held May 11. Two NY-BEST members are presenting including Rick Fioravanti, KEMA and a NY-BEST Board Member (covering commercial options for energy storage) and Michael Jacobs, Xtreme Power (discussing current and future industry players).

Launched six years ago, the Ecomagination initiative is essentially a business proposition stating that there will be greater and greater competition for natural resources, which will drive demand for renewable energy and goods that improve energy and water efficiency. In five full years, GE has made $70 billion from Ecomagination-tagged products, which can be everything from wind turbines to hybrid locomotives to electric car charging ports.

Siemens Energy will supply key components for two high-voltage direct-current transmission projects in Southern China. The total order value for Siemens is approximately 250 million Euros. Commissioning of the systems is scheduled for 2013.

Con Edison has launched a new website (www.conEd.com/electricvehicles) to help people learn more about electric vehicles, how to keep them charged properly and how to decide which type best serves their needs. Studies show that approximately 100,000 to 150,000 electric vehicles could be in Con Ed's service area by 2020.

Batteries, supercapacitors, flywheels, electric cars and pumped-storage hydroelectricity will be among topics discussed at a conference on energy storage that the University at Buffalo's Directed Energy program will host May 10 in Amherst.

General Motors has invested $ 3,200,000 in Michigan Sakti3 based development company to launch a set-up in 2007. The new company motor vehicle battery development plans in the auto industry for the long term. The battery technology is designed to drive cars for the future of the automotive industry.

General Motors unveiled the first Chevy-brand model to use the company's new eAssist technology, the 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco. The car will get an estimated 26 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway, making it among the most efficient mid-size vehicles available without a full hybrid system—or a full hybrid premium.

Scientists are expecting big breakthroughs in battery technology over the next five years that will increase the range of electric cars while reducing their cost. But even with these advances, researchers acknowledge that any rechargeable battery will gradually lose its capacity to store energy after repeated cycles of charging and discharging.

Samsung SDI, the world's No. 1 maker of rechargeable batteries, forecast the global lithium-ion battery market would triple by 2015, helping its shares rise nearly 6% to a record high.

Several companies are gaining traction by creating systems optimized for wind power. Xtreme Power landed a $43 million contract to provide a 36 MW battery storage system for Duke Energy's Notrees wind farm in western Texas. The storage system, said to be the largest attached to a wind farm, will store excess wind power and release it as needed.

Oneonta-based Ioxus has secured $21 million in investments to develop its technology and expand sales, marketing and manufacturing. The multimillion-dollar boost will help support up to 60 jobs by summer and maybe more by the end of the year according to Ioxus CEO Mark McGough. Ioxus manufactures ultracapacitors for use in the transportation, alternative energy, medical, industrial and consumer product markets.

General Motors received more clean-energy patents last year than any other organization, according to the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index of U.S. patents. GM's 135 patents represent nearly 14 percent of the total 1,881 received by 700 entities.

General Motors plans to invest $100 million and add 30 jobs at its Rochester facility where it employs roughly 825 people. This investment will enable GM to produce a new generation of fuel-efficient small block car and truck engines. The Rochester plant won the project over a sister plant in the Midwest according to Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Siemens, in cooperation with BMW, has developed a technology that allows electric cars to be recharged wirelessly using induction charging. The system, presented at the 2011 Hannover Messe tech show, will undergo testing in Berlin as part of a project funded by the German Environment Ministry. The cars can be recharged at 90% the efficiency of plug-in stations.

The Business of Energy workshop will be held at the University at Buffalo's NYSERDA-funded clean energy business incubator on May 10, 2011 at the Amherst Campus from 8:30 to 1:30. This workshop will explore the latest advancements in energy storage with presentations from Keynote Speaker Esther Takeuchi, Joseph Kessler (NYPA), Karen Parysek (Praxair), and Mike Swider (NYISO).

GM looses valuable player in EV product development, BMW pushes forward in new technology

Hero Electric, one of India's leading manufacturers of two-wheeled electric vehicles, showcased its battery-powered Zion and Optima Plus scooters at the Toronto International Spring Motorcycle Show this past weekend. With over 300 sales and service outlets across India, Hero Electric is a well-established brand.

Hero Motorcycles plans to start selling electric scooters fitted with Electrovaya's lithium ion batteries in the Canadian market in the third quarter of 2011.

NY-BEST member WilmerHale is the first tenant to incorporate this groundbreaking language crafted by industry leaders working with the Mayors Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability to promote enhanced energy efficiency and sustainability. The lease counts savings over the length of a projected payback period, instead of the useful life of the improvements, shortening the amount of time it takes for the owner to recoup the money from savings, thus making it more likely the owner and tenant will make capital improvements.

EnerG2 looks outside capacitors, technology parallels other devices such as lithium ion batteries, fuel cells, lead acid batteries.

Fuel cell technology specialist, Plug Power proclaimed that it has secured 534 orders for its GenDrive full cell systems from material handling customers during the Q1 of 2011.

WilmerHale was honored as the 2011 Patent Contentious Firm of the Year and the 2011 ITC Litigation Firm of the Year by Managing Intellectual Property (MIP) at its annual North American IP Awards Dinner in Washington DC on March 29.

Plug Power reports significant accomplishments during 2010, specifically increasing traction and momentum for its GenDrive product family in the material handling market. During 2010, Plug Power received new orders for 543 of its GenDrive fuel cell units and manufactured and shipped 650 units. During the fourth quarter, 419 of those GenDrive orders were received. Plug Power also added first time customers like CVS, Coca-Cola, BMW, UNFI and Wegmans to its list of GenDrive users.

Clean energy patents hit a record high in 2010, as GM took the leadership position from Honda, according to a patent index published by Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. The Clean Energy Patent Growth Index found that there were 1,181 cleantech patents granted in 2010, up over 170% from 2009 levels. This was the largest year-to-year jump since the index began, and more than three times the year-to-year difference from 2008 to 2009.

Cornings new non-woven glass fiber veil using corrosion-resistant Advantex E-CR glass technology increases cycle lifetime of traditional flooded lead-acid batteries, in particular at partial state of discharge. Other benefits include reduced acid stratification and the ability to operate in higher-temperature environments.

Together with a total 11 partners, KEMA is partnering in the EASYBAT project to develop interfaces for switching a battery in and out of an electric car quickly and safely.

Nearly all lithium batteries are required to pass section 38.3 of the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria. Intertek and Micro Power are teaming up to present key information on UN/DOT Transportation Testing including requirements of the specification such as Altitude Simulation, Thermal Test, Vibration, Shock, External Short Circuit, Impact, Overcharge, and Forced Discharge. Wednesday, April 27th at 2pm. The session is free, but registration is required.

NewWorld Capital Group, a leading private equity firm in the environmental opportunities sector, today announced the formation of a Strategic Advisory Council of experts on the environmental industry.

The Xtreme system on the North Shore of Oahu "smoothes the wind farm's output to ±1 megawatt per minute" by storing or releasing power as needed so that Hawaiian Electric Company's [HECO] grid system and its customers are isolated from disturbances due to varying winds at the Kahuku Wind wind farm. The system can firm renewables, store power when it's not needed and provide other ancillary services.

The Carbon Trust said ACAL’s technology is close to making hydrogen fuel cell cars a mass-market reality, contributing to the creation of a global industry estimated to be worth more than £180bn ($280 billion USD) by 2050.

Clarkson claims third place in Electric Snowmobile competition. The team partnered early in the fall with Bombardier Recreational Products in Valcourt, Quebec, and the 2010 US National Ski-Doo Dealer of the Year Ingles Performance of Phoenix, NY.

GE has begun recruiting hourly machine operators for its new $100 million battery plant in Schenectady and expects to have 50 on board by June. The plant, which is under construction and on schedule to begin production at the end of November, will hire 130 employees by the end of this year. GE has invested more than $150 million in advanced battery technology and ultimately plans to hire 350 workers for the Schenectady battery plant.

The U.S. Department of Energy is getting behind a project that aims to prove that superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) can work at the grid level. Via a $4.2 million ARPA-E grant, Swiss engineering firm ABB and a handful of partners including NY-BEST members Brookhaven National Lab and SuperPower plan to build a 3.3 kilowatt hour proof-of-concept SMES prototype that could someday be scaled to megawatt-hour capacity.

A Cornell University Law School analysis of federal tax credits for electric vehicles.

Ultra-thin batteries may find their way into many future devices.

Ioxus raises $12 out of a planned $18 million round of financing. Ioxus Chief Operating Officer Chad Hall explains that, “Ultracapacitors are not looking to replace batteries in the acceleration or main storage of a car – they are merely there to enhance the battery, make it last longer, and reduce the warranty issues related to replacing large batteries.” A potential win-win. Ioxus continues to further advance its ultracapacitor solutions with NYSERDA / NY-BEST awards.

SUNY Distinguished Professor and Greatbatch Professor of Advanced Power Sources Dr. Esther Takeuchi from the University at Buffalo will be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame which honors legendary inventors whose innovations have changed the world. Dr. Takeuchi has earned more patents than any other woman in the U.S.—148 at last count and growing. Dr. Takeuchi developed the battery that enabled implantable cardiac defibrillators, a feat that brought her to the White House in fall 2009 where President Obama presented her with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation...

Acal Energy has received a £1m investment from the Carbon Trust, the government arm that pioneers carbon reduction. Acal is working with Solvay, the Belgian chemical company, and an unnamed Japanese car manufacturer, and hopes to help produce a commercial car engine by 2015. Its technology has cut the cost of fuel cells by 40% by finding an alternative to expensive platinum as a catalyst.

The College of Nanoscale Science & Engineering and partners will host a statewide business plan competition on April 28 in Albany. This is a statewide business plan competition focusing on renewable energy and sustainable innovations. Current students from accredited colleges may submit business plans around a student-born innovation that is designed for a currently unmet need. Deadline to apply is March 25. Over $100,000 in prize monies is available.

Samsung SDI announced that a subsidiary of its joint venture SB LiMotive was chosen to develop advanced batteries for electric cars with a U.S. consortium that includes GM, Ford, and Chrysler.

Mark your calendar for the 2011 NY-BEST Conference and Annual Meeting on March 9-10 at the Hilton in Troy, New York. The program, speakers and on-line registration will be announced shortly. NY-BEST members as well as non-members interested in the energy storage industry are encouraged to attend this key event.  Learn about leading trends and future innovations; network with industry, research, and government leaders; and share your thoughts and ideas.

Register Now!

Ice Energy releases a 64-page guide designed to assist utility planners and analysts in determining how to account for energy storage-equipped facilities as part of a utility's electric system analysis and planning processes.

WilmerHale has tapped Michael “Mick” Bain to be partner in charge of the firm’s Venture Group office in Waltham, Mass., the law firm said on Tuesday.

Plastic frames hold pairs of lithium-ion cells that sandwich an aluminum cooling fin. The design and construction of that aluminum plate is critical to ensuring an even temperature distribution with no hot or cool spots across the flat, rectangular cell.

NY-BEST member American Aerogel, a maker of aerogels and simulated products based in Rochester, will use the NYSERDA funding to develop a high-tech material to insulate refrigerated trailers. The material will reduce the amount of energy needed to keep the interior cold and increase cargo space.

Buick LaCrosse sedan others, get eAssist technology

January sales figures are in and General Motors announced it sold a total of 321 Chevy Volt plug-in hybrids during the month, while Nissan sold just 87 units of the all-electric Nissan LEAF. January was the first full month of sales for both cars after they went into production in November. GM also announced it was speeding up the launch of the Volt with nationwide sales to start by the end of 2011.

The Volt has won nearly every major award offered and stirred up tons of interest, but one criticism persists: the price. The next-generation Volt will almost certainly cost less, GM spokesman Rob Peterson said, and the same changes that make it cheaper should make it better too. This article explores those areas for savings.

This position is global chief technology officer (CTO), and it has been filled by vice chairman Thomas G. Stephens, to head up the spot.

Acknowledging significant improvement in its business performance, General Motors today announced it is withdrawing its $14.4 billion application for direct loans from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

GM invests $7 mln in battery start-up, licenses tech

Opinion ed article on scalability of EV, and comparisons between the players

Utility Consolidated Edison said its net income grew 15% in the fourth quarter because of one-time gains and lower expenses.

Equities research analysts at Zacks Investment Research upgraded shares of Ultralife Corp. (NASDAQ: ULBI) from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note to clients and investors on Thursday.

Ice Energy, has named Robert L. Davis as Vice President, Utility Market Development.

New GM CEO takes proactive approach on competitors, opportunities, and strategies to place GM in good position in the years to come.

An entirely new type of nanomaterial developed at RPI, and supported under a NYSERDA/NY-BEST R&D award, could enable the next generation of high-power rechargeable lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and electronics. The new material, dubbed a nanoscoop because its shape resembles a cone with a scoop on top, can withstand extremely high rates of charge and discharge that would cause conventional electrodes used in todays Li-ion batteries to rapidly deteriorate and fail. The research team, led by Professor Nikhil Koratkar, demonstrated electrodes that could be charged and...

Ener1 raises capital, combines with stimulus funds, to increase Li-ion output

Under terms of the agreement, select Trane rooftop models, ranging from 4-20 tons, will be shipped Ice-Ready by Trane for seamless integration and optimal performance with Ice Energys Ice Bear energy storage systems. The Ice Bear system stores energy at night by freezing water in an insulated storage tank. During the day it works with the Ice-Ready air conditioning systems to dispatch the stored energy to deliver cooling to the building, dramatically reducing peak electric demand. During off-peak hours, the conventional HVAC system operates as usual.

General Motors Co. won high marks from major Wall Street banks Tuesday as they touted overseas growth and a made-over balance sheet as reasons to buy the car maker's stock.

General Motors CEO is looking to at least triple the company’s target for electric-car sales by expanding the market for the Chevrolet Volt and adding models that would share similar technology.

This past year, several Made-in-New York clean energy companies supported by NYSERDA received national recognition or reached significant milestones. The list includes NY-BEST members CUNY and GE who were successful securing $5.5 million in ARPA-E funding to increase Americas competitiveness in grid-scale energy storage. Ioxus, which has received significant NYSERDA and NY-BEST support, also received a "Technology of the Year" Award from Frost & Sullivan for its work in the ultracapacitor market.

Here we go… General Motors has started shipping its Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicles to its initial retail launch markets.

General Motors received a Golden Spike Award from the National Alliance for Advanced Technology Batteries for its effort to bring one of the first modern, mainstream electric vehicles to market with the launch of the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

Ice energy busy as oil prices slowly climb back up

Board Appoints Michael D. Popielec as President and CEO

Here's a cool bit of video that combines time-lapsed images from General Motors showing a Chevy Volt being assembled.

The hybrid systems research team at GE Global Research announced a significant breakthrough that could accelerate electrification of bus fleets, delivery trucks and other larger, heavy-duty vehicles. GEs dual battery combines the best attributes of lithium-ion and sodium chemistries into a single system: the lithium battery handles high-power acceleration and braking, while the sodium battery provides an even electric power flow to extend the bus range.

About 240,000 potential buyers have expressed an interest in the vehicle, but production in 2011 will be just 10,000 units.

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (AP) — General Motors Co. said Tuesday it will hire 1,000 additional engineers in the Detroit area to work on battery technology.

General Motors Co. sold a $500 million stake in its initial public offering to Chinese partner SAIC Motor Corp., cementing ties that have helped the American company boost sales in the world’s largest auto market.

GE will convert half of its corporate fleet to electric vehicles by 2015 in an effort to give the nascent technology a jump start and help develop a potentially big new market for the company.

GM has published a “blue paper” introducing its vision of sustainable urban mobility. The Blue Paper—published in English and Chinese—addresses the growing challenges associated with rising urbanization and the greater demand for transportation with respect to energy, environment, safety, traffic congestion and land use.

An update from the GreenBeat 2010 Conference which includes many new names in home energy storage including Ice Energy.

This article profiles NY-BEST Member Ice Energy and describes the need for better batteries to enable widespread adoption of solar and wind.

Heslin Rothenberg Farley and Mesiti has released the Fall 2010 edition of its IP Law Bulletin which includes patent updates and analysis of recent court findings.

GE to purchase thousands of EVs for its sales team to support image, drive demand for charging stations and power usage. Half of GE's 45,000 member sales force are expected to be driving electric vehicles under this initiative.

RPI has developed a new method for using water to tune the band gap of the nanomaterial graphene, opening the door to new graphene-based transistors and nanoelectronics. By exposing a graphene film to humidity, the team was able to create a band gap in graphene – a critical prerequisite to creating graphene transistors.

Utility Savings & Refund has agreed to become a sales affiliate for Prudent Energy International, the global leader in advanced energy storage based on the vanadium redox battery.

Ice Energy has completed a $24 million first closing of its Series C financing. The investment provides the company with working and growth capital to support its deployment of utility-scale distributed energy storage projects throughout the US and Canada. TIAA-CREF joined new and existing investors, including Energy Capital Partners, Good Energies, Sail Ventures and Second Avenue Partners, to participate in the round. TIAA-CREF's investment is its first under a new Green Building Technology Partnership.

GM has selected Sunlogics to build solar PV canopies and electric vehicle charging stations for the company's US facilities, development centers and Chevrolet dealerships. The first installation will be at the Volt assembly plant in Hamtramck, Michigan and is a 20kW system containing 10 charging stations.

NY-BEST member Heslin, Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti, which publishes the quarterly Clean Energy Patent Growth Index, will present an Intellectual Property Update on Global Trends and Growth in Clean Energy Patents on October 14 at Pat's Barn in the Rensselaer Technology Park in Troy, NY. Attendance is free. Registration and networking from 7:30am-8:00am. Program and questions from 8:00am-9:00am.

Paper Battery Company is one of 34 companies presenting at NREL's Industry Growth Forum in Denver on Oct 19-21. The presenting companies were competitively selected by a panel of 120 investors and industry experts and will pitch their business and compete to win the 2010 NREL-Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Venture Award. Companies presenting at the forum since 2003 have collectively raised more than $3.4 billion.

Details on GE's campus rehab for its new battery facility. Reusing an existing facility made the engineering more challenging but also offered some cost savings. Doing so will also help the company earn points toward achieving a Silver LEED certification.

Companys Distributed Energy Storage Solution Nominated as Sustainable Technology Innovation of the Year

Ice energy strengthens and builds team with new appointments of qualified individuals

RPI set to research nano-structured ceramic capacitors for renewable power with a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The group is developing a new type of ceramic, that would underlie the development of a new generation of energy storage devices.

Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. is pleased to announce results for the first quarter of 2010 for the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) by the firm's Cleantech Group.

General Motors is building an experimental fleet of electrically powered Chevrolet Cruze compact cars that will have a driving range of up to 100 miles to explore market needs and customer acceptance of battery electric vehicles.

Just days after the announcement by Vice President Joe Biden of $615 million for smart grid storage, NY-BEST member Utility Savings & Refund, LLC has agreed to become a sales affiliate for Prudent Energy International, the global leader in advanced energy storage based on the vanadium redox battery (VRB-ESS).

NY-BEST is pleased to partner with NYSERDA to offer special exhibit packages for NY-BEST members at the Advanced Energy Conference on November 8-9, 2010 in New York City. This conference is quickly becoming one of the premier venues for clean energy businesses nationwide to reach potential customers and influential industry leaders.

Opportunities will be offered to NY-BEST members on a first-come, first-served basis and include a table-top exhibit space in the pavilion room (a $1,700 value). For additional details and to take advantage of this limited opportunity, please...

Pilot funding provided by Ontario Power Authority's Conservation Fund to bring Ice Bear Energy Storage system to Canada

GM is working with ABB group on plans for retired battery pack deployment to the grid.

GM begins tests of pure electric Chevrolet Cruze, similar to Volt

The funding provides $3 million for the Small Scale Systems Integration and Packaging Center to develop and evaluate advanced electronic circuitry miniaturization to safeguard U.S. troops in the field; $2 million to enhance patient safety software applications being developed by the U.S. Army; $1.5 million to aid development of a display system to provide accurate visual representations for Army aircrew training simulators; and $4 million for the Center for Autonomous Solar Power to develop uninterrupted solar power sources through flexible solar cells and super-capacitors for electrical...

The project, part of the California Solar Initiative's Research, Development, Deployment and Demonstration Program, will seek to demonstrate the economic and operational benefits of integrating advanced energy storage systems with existing PV systems for peak demand reduction directly on commercial buildings. Ice Energy is one of three energy storage companies selected to participate in the program.

Several NYS companies work towards superconducting material for grid stabilization under an ARPA-E award.

The Ice Bear systems have been successfully operating on a range of commercial, retail, government, and educational facilities with uptime in excess of 99%. The Ice Bear system was recently documented in an ASHRAE publication available online at www.ice-energy.com. The company recently announced an agreement with Southern California Public Power Authority to implement a 53 MW storage project involving thousands of Ice Bear systems in Southern California to reduce peak electrical demand by as much as 64 GW hours annually,...

Researchers from the Technische Universities Muenchen are using new technology to observe sodium/iron chloride batteries for GE's locomotives.

Binghamton University is one of eight awards under the BATT program and will explore Metal-Based High-Capacity Li-Ion Anodes.

GM plans go from 30 to 45 production units for Volt

Amazing new devices for human implants driven by advanced batteries

Dr. Harriet Kung, Associate Director of Science for Basic Energy Sciences, at the US DOE will be the Keynote Speaker. The theme of this year's conference is "oxides for energy applications."

Ice Energy promoting the Energy Storage Bill of 2010

Ice Energy supporting new bill (Storage act of 2010) that covers many areas of energy storage

$3 million project with CUNY to implement grid scale storage

The GE WattStation will be sold in 2011 and a home version will be introduced later this year. The equipment can reduce the time it takes to charge an electric vehicle battery from 12 to 18 hours to around four to eight hours, according to GE.

Three New York based projects have been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to receive $5.5 million for research projects that aim to dramatically improve how the U.S. uses and produces energy.

CUNY’s Energy Institute received two awards totaling $4.6 million. The first project will develop metacapacitors with increased storage capability for grid interfaces, working in partnership with NY-BEST member Columbia University. The second project is in partnership with Ultralife Corporation, also a consortium member, and will develop low-cost grid-scale storage using a flow-...

Kodak is donating to Rochester Institute of Technology's Golisano Institute for Sustainability to help support research efforts and, eventually, a laboratory to allow collaborative work between Kodak and RIT on sustainability projects.

The research team, from Stony Brook University, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Victoria, Australia, and University of Cambridge in the UK, is using NMR spectroscopy to measure the amount of dendrites formed, for the first time, as they cannot be quantified using a scanning electron microscope.

KEMA released results of a research effort to model the effect of high-penetration renewables on intra-hour system operations of the California ISO. The findings are part of KEMA's report, "Research Evaluation of Wind Generation, Solar Generation, and Storage Impact on the California Grid," sponsored by the California Energy Commission.

GE's hybrid locomotive is getting ready for production. The locomotive will use a sodium-metal battery built at a new $100 million battery plant in Schenectady, NY. The plant is expected to open in 2011 and employ about 350 people. The batteries that will eventually be found aboard Evolution hybrid locomotives will likely also be used in backup power systems for the telecommunications industry and for other applications.

GM stops work on the Spark and leaves Indian Markets

With more patents than any other woman, UB scientist Esther Takeuchi brings fresh perspective to the nation's electrical grid. She holds more than 140 U.S. patents in energy storage and won the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Obama last Fall.

GM sets up venture capital company with $100 million to invest in auto-related technologies.

General Motors said on Thursday, that it is ending its partnership with Reva to develop electric cars in India.

Ice Energy expands into NYS with increased production of "Ice Bear" unit, 3,000 units per month, or 25 MW of energy storage.

GM seeks more business partners to create new features for the Volt.

AEYCH outlines localized energy storage study it is performing for NYSERDA; seeks partners and participants.

Ice Energy to install 1.5 MW of energy storage for Glendale Water & Power. Southern California municipal utility will integrate Ice Energy’s Ice Bear distributed energy storage technology to complement its smart grid strategy.

Ultralife announced that Thomas L. Saeli has joined its board of directors, effective March 5.

Wireless devices may interact with car charging in the future

LG Chem broke ground for the construction of a $800 million electric-car battery plant in Korea yesterday. The new plant, scheduled be opened in the first half of 2010, will supply lithium-ion batteries to General Motors from the second half of next year.

A summary of the zinc battery discoveries underway at CUNY's Energy Storage Institute

Details on NYSERDA's recent award to Ultralife

Widetronix Inc, with ties to Cornell, receives $2.2 million for beta voltaic batteries, which generate electrical current by using energy from radioactive isotopes that emit electrons. They are particularly well-suited to low-power electrical applications where long life of the energy source is needed, such as implantable medical devices or military and space applications.

The most recent ARPA-E awards were announced. In the “Batteries for Electrical Energy Storage Category,” Brookhaven National Lab is a partner with Missouri University of Science and Technology on lithium-air batteries.

GE R&D in Niskayuna is partnering with Nissan to "take a comprehensive look at what technologies will be needed in the car, on the grid and at home or work to make smart charging a reality." The companies announced an MOU to undertake research mainly at GE's Niskayuna, NY, smart-grid lab for three years. The first phase of work will focus on integrating electric car charging with homes and buildings. The second phase will work on integrating electric vehicles into the power grid.

Stan Whittingham, NY-BEST Vice Chairman and Director of the Institute for Materials Research at Binghamton University, is honored in Hall of Fame as one of 40 innovators who have made a significant difference for his work in Li-ion battery development.

NY-BEST has commissioned three competitive market analyses in grid-side energy storage, distributed generation storage, and medium/heavy-duty transportation storage. The studies will be completed in May. Each team includes university MBA and technical students as well as technical and industry advisers. These analyses will be available free of charge for all NY-BEST members on the Market Studies page.

Scientists are using a neutron scanning device for analysis of GE battery cells as a form of non-destructive testing. The The battery systems are designed for energy savings of at least ten percent in hybrid locomotives.

A perspective on East coast and West coast energy storage activities including the NY-BEST award to UltraLife

Ultralife’s Energy Storage System to Link Lithium Ion Battery and Ultracapacitor Technologies with Wind and Solar Energy Systems

If The Paper Battery Company gets its way, builders could potentially use its new prototype paper-based battery material in much the same way builders use Tyvek-branded DuPont plastic as a moisture wrap in building construction and roofs in electric vehicles could store energy.