In a rapidly evolving energy landscape, our research and development improves the safety, reliability, and performance of energy storage, while making it as cost-effective as possible.
Safety & Reliability
Safety and Reliability research improves the understanding and predictability of energy storage systems and components under realistic grid conditions and use cases through advanced research, testing, and standards guidance. Key stakeholders in this focus area include fire departments and other first responders, building managers, and authorities having jurisdiction over energy storage installations.
- Power Electronics
- Capacitors
- Validated Safety
- Safety Codes & Standards
Grid Integration and Field Validation
Grid Integration and Field Validation helps analyze and demonstrate the economic and technical viability of storage to end users through real-world validation of storage systems, tools, and models. The Rapid Operational Validation Initiative (ROVI) will employ innovative data science methods such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to help technology innovators and stakeholders across sectors understand and forecast long-term performance, cost, and operational reliability of new storage technologies. ROVI aims to provide at least a 15-year technology life and performance prediction requiring only 1-year or less of real time testing, leveraging innovative modeling techniques informed by artificial intelligence and machine learning.
- Demonstrations
Analytics
Analytics research and development helps stakeholders understand optimal storage sizing, placement, operation, and valuation, and highlights legacy market and regulatory structures that may not account for all the benefits provided by new technologies. These stakeholders include end-users, utilities, regulatory agencies, investors, and other decision makers. Stakeholder convenings foster collaboration across U.S. energy storage industry, exchange lessons learned, and solve barriers to further reliability and resilience benefits of energy storage nationwide. Assistance activities are enabled through the development of new analytical and open-source tools, performance protocols, and advanced modeling capabilities.
- Integration Studies
- Policy and Markets
Materials and Systems Innovation
Materials and Systems Innovation resolves key cost and performance challenges for storage technologies that rely on earth-abundant, domestically available storage materials, including longer-duration (10+ hour to seasonal) technologies. The Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity supports a diverse portfolio of energy storage materials and technologies (such as flow batteries; sodium-, zinc-, and lead-based batteries; and thermal energy storage). Additional crosscutting R&D areas include interconnections, power electronics, and power conversion systems.
- Batteries
- Flow Batteries