A Pittsburgh university researcher is betting big on batteries--really big batteries.
A Carnegie Mellon University spinoff has gotten a green light to advance development of high-capacity batteries that can store power from the nation's electrical grid. Led by CMU professor Jay Whitacre, the start-up, dubbed 44 Tech, will lease about 15,000 square feet in the Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville section and is now hiring to reach an initial staff of 10-15 employees.
The work is funded by a $5 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the private sector. Whitacre will direct the technical aspect of the work, which will be shared between research labs at Carnegie Mellon and 44 Tech.
If large amounts of electricity can be stored after being generated, the grid could reduce overall electricity consumption and save money. A recent estimate from the Electric Power Research Institute said smart grid technologies could reduce electricity use by more than 4 percent in 2030, saving $20.4 billion for U.S. businesses and consumers nationwide.
Whitacre, a material science and engineering professor who holds several patent applications for the technology, says CMU is one of a handful of U.S. universities that are working on creating stationary storage for the grid. Such a storage system is needed to support a grid that would include power from intermittent renewable power sources. His firm will develop room-temperature sodium-ion battery technology.
The Pittsburgh project is one of 16 Energy Department awards nationally. In addition to storage projects, other grantees will work on methods to allow communication between different parts of the electric grid.
Writer: Chris O'Toole
Source: Jay Whitacre, 44 Tech
Photograph of Jay Whitacre courtesy of Tech 44
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