Australian battery technology startup Relectrify has received approval from the International Electrotechnical Commission for its ReVolve energy storage product, opening the way for it to expand its cell-level control technology globally.
Relectrify claims to be a world first after the Switzerland-based International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) announced that the company’s 36kW/120kWh modular battery energy storage system has been certified to meet international technology standards and specific grid connection codes.
The ReVolve battery energy storage product, which uses second-life Nissan Leaf electric vehicle (EV) batteries, incorporates Relectrify’s patented cell-level control technology that combines an integrated battery management system (BMS) and inverter hardware solution. The hybrid system replaces the traditional BMS and inverters with a single electronic solution that enables the control of individual cells to produce alternating current (AC) suitable for the grid directly from the battery.
Melbourne-based Relectrify said the IEC certification is the first time a commercial and industrial-scale energy storage product using cell-level control has been certified to internationally recognized IEC standards. The company said it is also the first solid battery energy storage product using reusable end-of-life electric batteries to be certified for grid use in Australia.
Valentin Muenzel, CEO of Relectrify, said the certifications demonstrate that the company’s technology can operate safely and in accordance with global technology standards, opening up the opportunity for the company to deliver technology for network interactivity in emerging Europe and the United States (US). in the energy storage market.
“ReVolve demonstrates that our BMS+Inverter technology meets performance, safety and grid compatibility needs and supports technology integration into collaborative projects with leading global battery companies at residential, industrial and grid scale,” Muenzel said.
Relectrify says its combined inverter and battery management technology will revolutionize battery storage, increase lithium-ion battery life by up to a third and reduce power electronics costs by up to 30% compared to traditional battery systems.
The technology, which can be used in residential, industrial and grid storage systems with new or used batteries, has already been tested in numerous technical pilot projects around the world. Moonis Vegdani, director of strategy and transformation at County Energy Group, said the distribution network owner is now expanding the deployment of Relectrify’s storage technology to help it integrate distributed energy resources in a safer, cheaper and time-saving way.
“As an early adopter of Relectrify’s BMS+Inverter technology in a grid-wide battery system pilot program, we are excited to see the Relectrify team certified for grid connection,” he said. “We look forward to bringing this technology to New Zealand this year.”
The IEC certification comes just weeks after Relectrify received financial backing from a number of major international companies, including the venture capital arm of Japanese automaker Toyota.
