DevelopOhio

While solar capacity is on the rise and prices are falling, the need for efficient energy storage can be the missing component for customers in areas such as Ohio where the sun isn’t always shining (see our October 14, 2014 article), but a solar project in Akron hopes to demonstrate a solution to that problem, Crain’s Cleveland reports. Anthony Margida, executive director of the Akron Global Business Accelerator, hopes Akron “will play a key role in making the business case for green energy through the demonstration of locally engineered smart-battery technology.” This spring, 17 solar modules “will be mounted on the roof of the accelerator’s offices” and those modules “will collect 8,260 kilowatts of solar energy” annually, which “will be stored and regulated with a novel battery-management system.” The Design Flux battery system “integrates charging and discharging capabilities into the microcontroller, eliminating the loss of energy” experienced with traditional battery storage. Bill Hagstrand, senior director of cluster acceleration for regional economic development group Team NEO, said, “[t]he ability to manage energy storage in a power management system like that really helps maximize the value of the renewable energy.” Hagstrand and Margida agree this project is “a unique opportunity to showcase the city of Akron as a forerunner in clean energy.” For more, read the full article.