As the demand for and implementation of renewable energy grows, so too does demand for solutions which can store this energy in order to regulate when it is used.
The All-in-One Energy Storage
100% Green Technology
VRBs are unlike conventional batteries as they can utlize one element in the electrolyte. The VRB consists of two tanks of liquid Vanadium Electrolyte "VE" referred to as Vanadium-Redox-Flow cells. That means no rare earth or toxic materials are used and at the end of its life, all materials can be recycled.
Safety
The Vanadium-Redox-Flow technology is proven, robust and as a core ingredient is purified water, the device is also not flammable or explosive.
A Lifetime of Energy
Without cross contamination like most other batteries, VRBs last more than 25 years without losing power or capacity. Reinforcing its longitivity is the ability to deep cycle power (full charging and discharging) without affecting charging ability. This means 100% efficiency over the entire lifespan. At end of life or upgrade, the vanadium electrolyte that represents approximately 42% of the battery cost can simply be reused in another installation.
Simple Management
VRBs are infinitely scalable which is ideal for large scale power needed for grid level energy storage such as renewable power, microgrids, load leveling and efficient back up power (UPS) for town and cities. Competing technologies like lithium become more complex with increased scale unlike VRBs that remain simple to manage. Stacking VRBs or increasing the tank size is all that is required.
This market is growing rapidly around the world and there is significant investment in new and developing technology to best service this need. Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries are fast becoming a preferred choice for suppliers and there are a number of companies worldwide which are commercializing this technology.
The VRB is capable of meeting precise energy and power demands of almost any size. If, by comparison, you were to connect a long series of conventional (e.g., lead acid) batteries, that string would inevitably be weakened by the differing energy levels within each independent cell. A VRB, on the other hand, contains cells with nearly identical characteristics, since they all share the same energy-bearing electrolyte. This makes the upper limit of the energy-to-power ratio of a flow battery virtually unlimited. The VRB is distinct from hybrid flow batteries (such as zinc-bromine or sodium sulfur, for example) which have one reactive electrode and therefore suffer from the degradation drawbacks of conventional batteries. Using only Vanadium in the electrolyte – as opposed to a blend of electrochemical elements – gives the VRB the most competitive advantage in terms of operating cost, system life, maintenance, and safety.