"Uncovering the Untold Challenges of Energy Storage: From Communication to Cost"

Hello and welcome to my newsletter where I discuss unique challenges in the energy storage industry. In this edition, I will be focusing on four topics that are not often talked about: the lack of communication protocol standardisation, the lack of understanding of state estimations in lithium-ion-based energy storage systems, the lack of standardisation to determine the health of battery packs, and the cost associated with data transfer for cloud-based analytics.

Lack of Communication Protocol Standardization

The energy storage industry has been growing rapidly, and one of the biggest challenges is the lack of communication protocol standardisation between the energy storage and the application. This can lead to issues in interoperability, which makes it difficult to integrate energy storage into existing infrastructure. Examples of existing communication protocols are Modbus, CAN bus, and the proprietary protocol by Pylontech.

Standardisation of communication protocols can greatly simplify the integration of energy storage systems into the grid and can provide a solid foundation for future developments.

Lack of Understanding of State Estimations:

Another challenge is the lack of understanding of state estimations of lithium-ion based energy storage systems. It is essential to determine the state of the battery to ensure proper management and to prolong its life. State estimation algorithms are widely used in electric vehicles, but the same is not true for energy storage systems. Some examples of existing state estimation algorithms are extended Kalman filter, unscented Kalman filter, and particle filter.

The development of advanced algorithms to estimate the state of the battery can help maximize its lifespan.

Lack of Standard to Determine Battery Pack Health

The lack of a standard to determine the health of the lithium-ion battery packs is another challenge in the energy storage industry. In the field, methods such as impedance spectroscopy, voltage and temperature profiling, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy are employed to determine the health of the battery packs. However, there is still no universally accepted standard to assess the health of the battery packs.

A standardised method to evaluate the health of battery packs can help to optimise the battery operation, increase its lifespan, and improve the safety.

Lack of Understanding of the Cost of Data Transfer

Another important challenge is the lack of understanding of the cost associated with the data transfer to perform cloud-based analytics. In India, the cost of data transfer can be high, and this can be a significant challenge in the energy storage industry. The cost of data transfer needs to be considered while designing cloud-based analytics systems.

The use of compression algorithms, intelligent sampling, and edge computing can help to reduce the cost of data transfer.

In conclusion, the energy storage industry faces unique challenges that require innovative solutions. Standardisation of communication protocols, development of advanced algorithms, and adoption of standardised methods to assess battery health can improve the overall performance and lifespan of the energy storage systems. Considering the cost of data transfer is also crucial while designing cloud-based analytics systems.

It's important to note that the views expressed in this newsletter are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of any organisation or company mentioned herein.

I hope you found this newsletter informative and thought-provoking. If you have any questions or feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Best regards,

GM

About the Author

Ganesh Moorthi

I am an accomplished Lithium-ion Battery Pack Expert and Energy storage Expert with over a decade of experience in designing and developing EV and ESS battery packs. Throughout my career, I have spearheaded the technology development of Battery Packs and Battery management systems with different AFE's and architectures. I have also led the development of Hardware, Firmware, Packaging, and Software for Energy Storage Systems. I possess a deep understanding of Lithium-ion chemistry and have demonstrated expertise in the production of LiB's with proprietary technologies. With my extensive educational qualifications and vast experience, I believe I can bring unique perspectives about the Energy Storage industry.

Credits: Image by Vectorjuice on Freepik