CUE at Ryerson University testing 150 kW Li-ion battery from Electrovaya

3 November 2015

The Center for Urban Energy (CUE) at Ryerson University in Canada is testing a 150 kW Li-ion battery provided by Electrovaya in collaboration with Toronto Hydro to prove how off-peak electricity can be stored.

Post doctorate research fellow Bhanu Opathella with the 150 kW battery. Click to enlarge.

With the battery installed, a one-year pilot project will begin this month. Urban energy storage has the potential to not only be a cleaner alternative to diesel generators, and to electrify buildings such as hospitals and large institutions in the downtown core but also could offer a lower-cost future for Canadian homeowners.

From just this battery, you could electrify 150 houses for four hours. It is going to prove that batteries can be used to correct problems in the power system. This can include voltage fluctuations and power mismatches: we have a lot of demand for energy in the daytime, and a lot of wind generation in the nighttime. Generally, peaks demand occurs from 6 pm to 7 pm when solar generation is also minimal. When energy generation is high, we can store it in batteries; when the demand is high, we can use that power.

—Bhanu Opathella, post doctorate research fellow at CUE