As demand on the grid continues to grow, Viridi is teaming with a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory to usher in next-generation utility grid technologies to advance the grid.
The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) selected Viridi’s fail-safe battery energy storage systems (BESS) to install at ORNL’s Grid Research Innovation and Development Center (GRID-C) as part of the testing platform for a DOE resource integration and evaluation project.
As described on its website, its fail-safe, AI-enhanced aqueous sodium-ion battery technology uses non-flammable electrolytes and abundant materials to transform saltwater into safe, pollution-free electricity. And it’s 100% green.
Founded in Tennessee as part of the Manhattan Project in World War II, the 4,000-plus-acre Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the largest science and energy research laboratory in the United States, focusing on supercomputing, clean energy, and materials research.
Viridi installs state-of-the-art tech
Viridi’s RPS 150 was installed at GRID-C’s Power Distribution Field Test Site. ORNL integrated its converter system with Viridi’s battery to validate the technology, as per a press release.
But, before that, they had developed a system for controlling clusters of grid resources to meet utility needs. It was first tested in an indoor laboratory using emulated energy sources and battery storage. But they wanted to follow up with live-grid testing.
“This project bridges an important gap by integrating real electrical equipment to understand realistic performance challenges, proving the robustness of ORNL’s new control strategies and AC/DC architecture for supporting the future grid,” said Dr. Madhu Sudhan Chinthavali, Electrical Systems Integration Program Manager at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. “Viridi’s battery integrated seamlessly with our management system, and its engineering team supported our researchers throughout testing and integration, making them a valuable partner.”
And it couldn’t be a better time. The grid is a growing issue in the age of AI. “BESSs have become a critical component of grid infrastructure,” as per a press release. Pressure is on the rise to modernize aging grid systems, integrate distributed energy resources, and improve resilience against disruptions.
“The ability to coordinate energy storage across multiple components of the grid is emerging as one of the most important capabilities in that effort.”
The future looks bright
“Being selected by Oak Ridge National Laboratory to support the project is a milestone for Viridi and a validation of what we have built”, said Jon M. Williams, CEO, Viridi. “When a DOE national lab chooses your technology to support their research, it is the highest bar a battery system can meet. We built Viridi’s fail-safe BESS to perform in exactly these kinds of environments, and we are proud to be partnering with ORNL to advance the grid modernization solutions that utilities across the country need.
As a press release concludes, the companies presented their partnership as the beginning of a long-term commitment, with other projects planned. Viridi stated that the partnership represents a significant step in its mission to bring safe, reliable battery energy storage to the infrastructure applications that matter most, from grid modernization research to real-world utility deployment.