Silicon Joule battery evaluation begins Pilot's bid to gain energy storage system market share

SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Pilot Battery Co., a Taiwan leading producer of AGM battery technology and solar components and Gridtential Energy, the inventor of Silicon Joule™ bipolar battery technology today announced a formal evaluation agreement that could kickstart a new era of Taiwanese and Asian Pacific battery production for the energy storage systems market.

Under the agreement, Pilot will evaluate a combination of 6V and 24V Silicon Joule reference batteries and, using Gridtential’s development kits, produce prototype batteries in preparation for future production. Pilot will integrate its own active material in the battery to validate impact on cycle life, energy density, battery efficiency, charging rates and manufacturability.

Pilot recently received a $360,000 research grant from the Taiwanese government to pursue technology innovation with the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI). ITRI is one of the world’s leading high-tech applied research institutions located in Taiwan.

“Pilot wants to revolutionize the performance and reach of AGM battery technology, and we share that goal,” said Gridtential CEO John Barton. “This is a great opportunity to bring the best engineering minds and materials in the industry to that common mission: to make the best performing and most recyclable battery in the world for energy storage systems.”

A leader in semiconductor foundry manufacturing, Taiwan accounts for 64 percent of the global market and is a pivotal base of operations serving the fast-growing APAC region. The government of Taiwan has set a goal to get renewable energy installation capacity to 27 GWh. China aims to grow renewables to more than half of total installed capacity by 2025. These ambitious goals will require a corresponding increase in energy storage capacity. The AGM market will be examined closely as a good solution for that increased demand.

Silicon Joule is a revolutionary battery technology that substitutes treated silicon wafers, like those found in solar panels, for conventional lead grids to create an advanced AGM lead battery that delivers up to 5X the power density, 2X the discharge rate at a 75 percent lower levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) than conventional lead batteries. The partnership will enable Asian partners to leverage its strong solar materials expertise and grow its foothold in the energy storage market.

“We are pleased to be working with Gridtential and evaluating this novel technology,” said ChunYi Hong, president of Pilot. “We believe that the superior treatment for the silicon wafer we’ve developed from many decades in the solar industry could make a great match with the Silicon Joule bipolar design.”

“As a longtime partner with Pilot Battery, we are excited about the opportunity to help them evaluate Gridtential’s Silicon Joule technology,” said Ren-Chain (Joseph) Wang, vice president and general director of Green Energy and Environment Research Laboratories at ITRI. “The bipolar design and advances in conductive battery materials that we’ve already made at ITRI have the potential to dramatically disrupt the AGM battery market.”

Gridtential has licensing agreements with 12 battery makers, including the second largest U.S. manufacturer East Penn, which is currently making Silicon Joule reference batteries on a prototype line.

Industries from automotive, to sub-auto, to energy storage systems are searching for lower-cost, sustainable power solutions to meet diverse energy needs. Silicon Joule combines the environmental benefits of lead batteries (99 percent recyclable and fewer fire hazards) with the high-performance characteristics of silicon from the solar industry.

To inquire about the Silicon Joule Evaluation Program, contact Gridtential here.

About Gridtential Energy

Gridtential is the creator of Silicon Joule™, breakthrough advanced AGM battery technology that provides a lower-cost, safer, greener alternative to lithium-ion. Inspired by solar technology, Silicon Joule dramatically improves power density, discharge rate and cycle life while reducing weight by 30%, delivering superior performance for deep-cycle and power applications including personal electric vehicles, renewable energy storage systems and hybrid automotive.

Gridtential Energy provides Silicon Joule™ reference batteries, development kits, bipolar materials and non-exclusive licenses, enabling manufacturing partners to easily adapt their factories to provide high-performing, higher voltage 24V, 36V & 48V batteries to their customers for the hybrid-automotive, Low-Speed EV (LSEV), energy storage system (ESS) & telecom backup markets, all without gigascale capital investments.

Silicon Joule is in use today by 12 battery partners and several OEMs. Based in Santa Clara, CA, Gridtential’s investors include The Roda Group and 1955 Capital.

About Pilot Battery Co.

Pilot Battery Co., Ltd., was established in 1979 and is engaged in the production of lead-acid batteries for industrial use. After 40 years of production, it has been a professional technical manufacturer. The headquarters is located in Longde Industrial Zone, Yilan County. The main products are maintenance-free lead-carbon batteries, maintenance-free closed valve-regulated lead-acid batteries. These batteries are characterized by strong starting power, large capacity, and long-life performance.

About ITRI

ITRI is a world-leading applied technology research institute with more than 6,000 outstanding employees. Its mission is to drive industrial development, create economic value, and enhance social well-being through technology R&D. Founded in 1973, it pioneered IC development and started to nurture new tech ventures and deliver its R&D results to industries. ITRI has set up and incubated companies such as TSMC, UMC, Taiwan Mask Corp., Epistar Corp., Mirle Automation Corp., and Taiwan Biomaterial Co.

ITRI is dedicated to creating new value and identifying emerging demands for partners while facing global challenges and opportunities, such as urbanization, aging societies, new production and consumption patterns, climate change caused by global warming, and a post-COVID-19 era.

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SOURCE Gridtential Energy, Inc.