Fluidic Energy™ hosted Arizona Corporation Commissioner Andy Tobin on a tour of its technology, manufacturing and monitoring facilities today while unveiling the state of the art energy storage unit that will be installed in a local Scottsdale residence to charge from both solar and off peak rate electricity. The unit is the first to be deployed in North Americaamid the company’s continued global expansion of its game-changing rechargeable, long duration Zinc-air energy storage technology.
Energy storage provides the ability to reliably and smoothly deploy renewable energy captured from the sun as well as shift demand to off peak rate electricity. Captured energy can then be used when peak electricity rates are at their highest during the afternoon and early evening, addressing an economics challenge that has constrained solar energy potential.
According to Commissioner Tobin, who has spearheaded the push to align industry and the public sector around a solar + storage vision, local innovation and projects like this one signal a brighter future for Arizona residents and the state’s economy.
“As energy storage continues to develop, I hope we can get to a point where the sun never truly sets in Arizona,” said Commissioner Andy Tobin. “Our state’s energy future is undeniably tied to maximizing the use of abundant sunshine here, both day and night, through residential- and utility-scale batteries. This project reflects a clear vision of Arizona being one of America’s energy storage leaders.”
The rechargeable, long duration Zinc-air hybrid energy storage unit will be installed at the home of Tom Harris, President of the Arizona Solar Energy Industries Association. Performance will be monitored 24/7 via Fluidic IQ, the company’s real-time integrated storage, electronics and software monitoring system, so that learnings can be used to maximize the benefit of long duration energy storage for the home owner.
The system is funded through the Arizona Public Service (APS) Solar Innovation Study-125 program (SIS-125), which examines the integration of rooftop solar with advanced energy-related technologies, including battery storage.
Steve Scharnhorst, CEO of Fluidic Energy, emphasized the potential of the solar + storage combination in Arizona and beyond. “Affordable and reliable renewable energy can truly change lives. Fluidic’s resilient energy storage systems are field proven to outperform the incumbents in cost, safety and reliability and our team is very excited to be a part of Arizona’s clean energy future by empowering the industry to store energy and redistribute it to the consumer when and how they need it,” said Scharnhorst.
Fluidic’s long duration Zinc-air battery is the first new electrochemical storage technology to reach global commercial scale since the 1990s. With more than 50MWh of energy storage worldwide, Fluidic’s technology and whole product approach has already impacted the lives of millions of people and thousands of communities by delivering reliable, affordable electricity to businesses and homes in diverse and difficult operating climates. From the mountains of South America to the villages of Madagascar and the islands of Indonesia, field experiences continue to feed data back to the company’s Phoenixheadquarters, providing learnings that can be applied as the company continues to expand in Arizona and beyond.
“Our team is thrilled to be launching our first North American unit and couldn’t be more proud that our home state, alongside the vision and leadership of Commissioner Tobin and APS, is setting an example for the rest of the country to follow,” said Scharnhorst.
