Letter in Cape Times 28th December 2015: "Year of the battery"

2016 will be the year of the battery, when Elon Musk uses his marketing and investment muscle to make battery usage widely used in home and commercial scale energy systems.

Embedded storage is just as important as embedded energy. Embedded means that the energy and storage is produced at the point of consumption, and it also means that if there is a fault at a large-scale nuclear or coal or hydro-electric or solar or wind power station, or on the electrical distribution network, that the embedded generators and storage can come into use.

Many parts of the US have realised how important embedded generation and storage is on their grids, especially in light of recent extreme weather events that they have been experiencing.

This makes our electrical grids much more resilient, increases security of supply and brings down the cost of production overall as our grids become more effective and efficient and because there is a lot less mismanagement of funds due to almost no possibility of corruption.

Our water grids already have embedded water in the form of peoples' pools and many 5 000 litre water tanks I see sprouting up in peoples' gardens and with pool covers and systems to make this water drinkable, the pools become much more effective and efficient at reducing the risk of drought and its associated effects.

Some pundits suggest that 30 percent of food is already grown in cities. This means that our food grids are becoming more resilient as well as the water and electricity grids, and therefore we should start seeing reductions in our cost of living over the next few years.

This cost of living is not only to ourselves, financially, but also to our planet, environmentally.

One should note that while Elon Musk has made the PowerWall well known world wide, it isn't the only battery that is available, although he is working hard to bring the price of lithium ion down.

Energy Storage (Batteries)

I chaired a debate at the PowerGen conference at the CTICC on the 16th July 2015.

Although it was to a technical audience with a technical panel, very many people are asking me for help with understanding battery technology and I thought this summary might be useful.

​People are concerned that renewable energy systems might not produce electricity​ when it is needed, but I think that we can see that even fossil fuel based systems, such as the one Eskom runs, also don't produce electricity when it is needed.

Wind turbine and solar-electric (photovoltaic) systems have to produce electricity when it is needed. Note that this is exactly the same for fossil fuel based systems​ which also have to produce electricity when it is needed.

And both systems waste electricity and produce electricity when it isn't needed. It's just that when the wind or the sun is wasting electricity, it is free, whereas a coal or nuclear power station still costs us money when it is wasting electricity, e​.g. for coal, nuclear power, other supplies.

A well run fossil fuel based electricity grid has 15% "spinning reserve" running all the ​time so that when you turn on the light or your kettle, there is electricity. This electricity is usually wasted, so we need is storage.

The first storage that grids have had for decades is pumped storage dams. At off-peak time, ​or when electricity is being wasted, water is pumped from a lower dam to an upper dam. At peak time​, or when demand exceeds supply,​ the water runs down and creates electricity.

Another storage we have used for decades is the geyser in our house or office, where we store electricity in the form of hot water, for use later​. We should "charge" it with electricity at off peak time, and then use zero electricity for the geyser at peak time​. We still have hot water during load shedding, so you can see that this is a form of "battery" where we have stored electricity for later use.​

And then there are all sorts of batteries, like the ones in your cell phone, or laptop, or watch, or TV​ remote​. All these should be charged from 10pm to 6am, when electricity is really cheap, at the low off-peak tariff.

And then there are newer batteries such as molten salt, where surplus electricity can be stored as heat at 800 degrees celsius and then when this electricity is needed this incredibly hot salt bolts water to make steam which then drives a turbine and makes electricity.​ Concentrated solar systems store electricity in this way. Eskom could also store electricity like this if it wished.

In summary, a battery or energy storage system stores electricity either in a battery or as heat or in a pumped storage system for later use. ​There is nothing new about this. Our fossil fuel grids need it. And our renewable energy grids also need it. The main difference is that in a renewable energy grid, charging the batteries is free.

If you need more information or want to book me for a conference, see
www.vcita.com/v/davidlipschitz/

Power-Gen #PGAfrica Batteries & Energy storage David Lipschitz 16th July 2015

This is a Mind Map of the preparation I did for chairing the Batteries & Energy Storage Panel Discussion at Power-Gen 2015 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in Cape Town on 16th July 2015.

Sections are: PowerWall; History; Short Term Batteries; Very Long Term Batteries; What is a Battery; Overproduction and Waste (part of the reason for batteries even in a fossil fuel based electricity grid); What is a battery for; Types of Batteries.

https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/I4kLhhQjOh2Spe

Mind Map: Power-Gen Africa #PGAfrica 2015 Conference David Lipschitz 16th July 2015 Day 2

The Second Day of PowerGen 2015 at the CTICC, Cape Town International Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa, on 16th July 2015.

A mind map by David Lipschitz.

1: The centre of the Mind Map

2: Policy, Regulation & Privatisation Panel Discussion

Speakers: Angeli Hoekstra from PWC; Melusi Maposa from Accenture; Seamus Fitzgerald from ESS, Dublin; Richard Badge from Volta River Authority, Ghana; Mike Malcahy from Green Cape, who spoke about the Atlantis SEZ (Special Development Zone).

3: Capacity Building Panel Discussion

Speakers: Louis Jestin, EDF & Eskom EPPEI; Jens Reich, STEAG; Phindile Mooketse, Eskom Medupi Technical Plant Manager; Francois Petersen, Eskom EPPEI.

Subjects: Consultation, Design and Implementation; High Performance Utility Model; The Decision Tree for Capacity Building in (South) Africa; The Challenge of the Skills Shortage in South Africa; Eskom EPPEI (Eskom Electric Power Planning & Engineering Institute).

4: Energy Storage Panel Discussion

David Lipschitz in the Chair

Panel: Mu'azzam Kippie, Eskom Hydro; Professor Wikus van Niekerk (Stellenbosch University); Precious Husvu, Eskom Compressed Air

Subjects: Battery and Energy Storage Overview; "Non-minimum" problem in hydro; CSP with Storage; PV with Compressed Air Storage.

There was another panel discussion later in the afternoon, which I didn't attend as I was in some meetings on the exhibition floor.

https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/embed_code/key/7jE1wN8IwkxFJ

"People": some of the people I met and what they said.

"Research": more things for me to find out about.

[]: anything is square brackets are my thoughts, possibly for more research.

Note: I have done 3D mind maps in the past. this is the first time I have put a hole day of mind maps on a single page. Hope you like it and look forward to your feedback.

PS: I have permission from Pennwell to publish this Mind Map. I thoroughly recommend their conferences. If you'd like me to present this mind map to you, please let me know.

Elon Musk's Tesla Energy Lithium Ion Battery Comments from David Lipschitz

PowerWall

Why Tesla is backing batteries

Did Tesla Just Kill Nuclear Power?

Elon Musk and Tesla aren't the first when it comes to home-scale battery backup systems. These are already available. It's just that in the energy world, Tesla's marketing is better than anyone else's in the world. Just like Apple's and Google's marketing.

Isn't it incredible that these companies can have such clean and uncluttered websites, even though they have so many products and so much information?

There are already great Lithium-Ion (LiOn) products in the marketplace, but everyone is now saying that Elon Musk and Tesla will change the world. And yes, they will, along with many other great companies and technologies. I think the thing with Elon is his openness and wanting to share his technology and his ideal that we can get off fossil fuels. That appeals to everyone, including many of the sceptics out there.​

My Lead Acid battery bank at the moment is 12 kWh of which about 4 kWh is usable on a regular basis. And cost about R18,000 (US$1,500). So the Tesla battery is about the same price if it lasts 10 years or more as claimed, or twice the price if it lasts 5 years. LiOn batteries have lots of great advantages such as lasting 4 times longer,​ fast charge, and fast discharge, ​without impacting the life of the battery. ​ Higher charging/discharging efficiency should actually make the LiOn battery cheaper than Lead Acid. And fast charging means that one can have a large PV array to ensure that the battery is fully charged every day, including on rainy days.​

We'll wait for more news once the system is in operation.

I've also been researching a Chinese LiOn battery for house-scale systems which is already available in South Africa at about the same price as the Tesla. See FreedomWon.

You can charge LiOn 1 to 1 under normal use, ie fast, ie if you have a 100 AH battery, you can put 100 Amps into it to charge it; with a 100 AH lead acid battery you can only put 20 Amps into it taking 5 hours to charge. And then another thing is that you can discharge a LiOn battery almost completely flat on a regular basis. With fast three-phase super-chargers one can actually charge LiOn 2 to 1, ie put 200 Amps into a 100 amp-hour battery bank.

​And then there is the efficiency. The charge/discharge cycle of a Lead Acid battery is about 56% efficient, whereas the charge/discharge cycle of a LiOn battery is claimed to be 96%. Therefore a smaller LiOn battery can be used, ie fewer AH (Amp Hours) and therefore the LiOn battery might finally be cheaper than the Lead Acid Battery. Up till now, LiOn has been about 2.5 times the price of Lead Acid.​

A LiOn battery takes up less space than Lead Acid, as can be seen in the size of Tesla's wall mounting.

Elon Musk and Tesla and companies like FreedomWon and maybe even My Power Station are changing the world, a step at a time, helping us all finally retire and become independent from the big corporations and big government upon whom we are all overly dependent.

Give me a call to do a presentation to your directors, company, organisation, community group, NGO, or family about your power station and your power needs.

PS: Batteries like these aren't the only kinds of storage we can use in a Decentralised Electricity with Embedded Generation. This mind map shows many different kinds of "batteries", all essentially storing electricity, energy and heat for later use.

PPS: One should note that both fossil fuel-based systems and renewable energy systems waste electricity and often have electricity when it isn't needed. In the past, this energy has been wasted in fossil fuel systems, but modern batteries can be used both by renewable energy systems and fossil fuel systems thus reducing our peak demand requirement and the need for so many power stations.

Vital Solution Ignored. Letter in Cape Times on 11th March 2015

NERSA has published a request for comment on their web site regarding "net metering" and embedded generation (EG).

In South Africa, peak demand typically happens between 7am and 10am in the morning, and 6pm and 8pm in the evening.

The document assumes that EG cannot help with peak demand and ignores battery-based systems, fuel cells, biodigestors running on farms at peak times, sewerage-mining and so on.

This fundamental assumption causes the document to, again, ignore the huge potential of homeowners and rooftop owners to completely remove their peak demand and thus effectively supply the grid with electricity at peak time. Meaning South Africa's peaking power stations will not be needed, and the economy will expand.

Note that here is my full email to NERSA, based on this document:

Dear NERSA

I have read the latest discussion document dated 25th February 2015 as well as the draft discussion document dated 10th December 2014 and I have the following comments and observations:

1) The new document excludes the PV installation list from around the country. This is unfortunate as your readers will not have an idea of the scale of existing systems already being installed. Of-course this list ignores systems less than 1 MW, but nevertheless it is an interesting list.

2) The list of concerns has also been left out. One of the many reasons for the poor adoption of Embedded Generation in South Africa is because government misunderstands how important electricity generation is for the economy, and instead focuses on potential lost generation and compensation.

3) It is unfortunate that the System Profile Impact graphs have been ignored in the latest version. These graphs show how Renewable Energy will impact on the load profile of the grid. Having this information means that installers and users of EG can make proposals to move their loads to when the sun is shining.

4) Both documents assume that EG cannot help with peak demand and ignore battery based systems, fuel cells, biodigestors running on farms at peak times, sewerage-mining, etc. This fundamental assumption causes the document to again ignore the huge potential of homeowners and roof top owners to completely remove their peak demand and thus effectively supply the grid with up to 17 GW of electricity at peak time, meaning that South Africa's peaking power stations will not be needed, the economy will expand, etc.

Please acknowledge receipt of this email and add me to your communication database for the Public Hearings, etc.

Yours faithfully,
David Lipschitz

Battery related questions in a backup system which can be used during Load Shedding in South Africa

Here is an answer I just posted on Facebook: "Have I been given the wrong info? I hear that the battery replacement cycle is rather short and therefore costly."

Hi Pat.

If you buy the 100 or 105AH "Solar Storage" batteries that look like car batteries, but which are called "Solar Storage", they will last about 2 years and then even though they say that are "sealed" I had 8 of these batteries and managed to refill them after two years to that they lasted 4 years. But their performance wasn't great.

18 months ago I upgraded to "Deep Cycle" batteries, 260 AH 12 Volt SonX batteries. The 4 SonX cost about R20,000 instead of the first set which cost about R12,000. But they are firstly 520 AH at 24 Volts instead of 420 AH at 24 Volts and secondly their performance is excellent. They last a lot longer than the original batteries.

And then the specification says they should last 7 years, but I'm hoping they will last longer than this, but even 7 years will be excellent. Note that in a battery system design, one should design the system to not use more than 30% of the battery capacity on a regular (daily) basis and only use 50% on a very irregular basis. This way the batteries are looked after and will last the specified time.

Having said all this, the inverters should last 12 years and the most of the photovoltaic (PV) panels are guaranteed for 30 years, with the PV panels performance deteriorating to 90% of their rated capacity after 12 years and to 80% of their rated capacity after 30 years.

So relative to inverters and PV panels, batteries don't last as long and therefore need to be replaced more often and therefore are relatively more expensive. But the benefits they give you far exceed their costs, in my opinion.

One should also note that if you have a "battery system", you need more components than on a "grid tie system" without batteries and therefore a system with a battery costs more than just adding the additional battery bank. And there is more maintenance on a battery system although the systems can be programmed to look after themselves and send warning system messages or emails or sms's if there is a problem.

Set 1: Price R12,500: Lasted 2 years. The second 2 years battery performance was really poor. Equals R6,250 per annum.

Set 2: R20,000: Should last 7 years: R2857 per annum.

These calculations exclude interest and the Cost of Capital, but I think the point is made.

Sealed Battery?

Do you have a sealed battery which is not under guarantee anymore?

Would you like us to check it and lengthen its life?

Email battery@mypowerstation.biz.

Rechargeable Batteries just added to mypowerstation.biz

We just added the Hahnel batteries and battery charger to our My Power Station store.

This press release added 3rd September 2010 and updated 10th September 2010. We didn't like the first Hahnel charger we found as it didn't show when the batteries were full. We have now find a more advanced Hahnel charger and have tested it and are happy with it.

David Lipschitz, Energy Expert at MyPowerStation, says that he chose these batteries and battery charger for the following reasons:

The charger uses the latest technology and includes a microchip for optimal charging and battery life. The charger charges AA (R6-Mignon) and AAA (Micro) batteries. You can find a product manual here.

The charger comes with a 240 Volt mains adapter and a 12 Volt car adapter.

Supplied with 4 High Power Rechargeable AA 1.25V 2500mAh (or higher) Ni-MH Batteries. If you buy our kit with the Efergy and batteries and battery charger, you get 8 AA batteries and 8 AAA batteries.

Charge time about 3 to 4 hours depending on battery type and capacity.

The batteries are made from Nickel Metal Hydride which is a reasonably clean technology for recycling and proper disposal.

Hahnel batteries are designed in Cork, Ireland.
Here is a quote from http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-20.htm: "Although nickel-metal-hydride is considered environmentally friendly, this chemistry is also being recycled. The main derivative is nickel, which is considered semi-toxic. nickel-metal-hydride also contains electrolyte that, in large amounts, is hazardous. If no disposal service is available in an area, individual nickel-metal-hydride batteries can be discarded with other household wastes. If ten or more batteries are accumulated, the user should consider disposing of these packs in a secure waste landfill."

Hahnel is an independent manufacturer of batteries, power adapters, chargers and accessories for cameras and notebooks. Hahnel’s products are designed for most major manufacturers and models and offer an affordable alternative to brand name products.

Hahnel was originally a German company, but is now based in Cork, Ireland. In 2008 the company celebrated fifty years of business.