Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD is leaving the highway with its next project, the Haohan battery system.
The grid-level, renewable energy storage unit is the size of a 20-foot storage container, much like other large-scale units such as Tesla's Megapacks. But BYD said its innovation has an energy density, or the amount of power stored per pound, 51% higher than the market average. As a result, sites with Haohan would require less land and 76% fewer cells than others, according to Interesting Engineering.
"Engineered for tough conditions from deserts to coastlines, Haohan also lowers failure rates and maintenance costs by about 70% while providing millisecond response and gigawatt-level grid support through BYD's own power conversion and energy management systems," IE's Bojan Stojkovski wrote.
Additionally, Haohan provides more than 10,000 cycles and cuts "lifetime energy costs to under $0.014 per kilowatt-hour — a figure that could transform the economics of grid-scale projects," Stojkovski added.
The financial implications are significant for developers, as a typical storage site could cost 30% less to build, including shipping and installation. Haohan is created around BYD's proven Blade battery cell that powers its EVs. The pack is designed to store the cleaner energy for backup power for homes and businesses, while supporting the grid, all per IE.
Adding more renewables around the world is important, as unbridled data center power demand is poised to jump 165% by 2030, according to Goldman Sachs. The energy draw is accompanied by more seasonal air conditioning use resulting from extreme heat.
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Efficient, sustainable energy storage can reduce demand from dirty power sources that produce heat-trapping air pollution. The fumes are linked to greater risks for severe temperatures, droughts, and other weather, according to NASA. The conditions are even impacting grocery prices in parts of the world.
In response, battery projects are popping up all over the planet. A large one in Denmark is underway to store renewable energy. Quebec's EVLO has a unique innovation in the works that includes remote-controlled monitoring.
At home, battery backups combined with rooftop solar panels can generate and store free solar energy for later use, providing crucial blackout protection. Extra juice can even be sold back to the grid for profit when the dwelling is part of a virtual power plant. The setups are a great way to reduce or eliminate your utility bill.
Tax breaks are available until the end of the year to help cover the cost. EnergySage can help you compare quotes, find a timely installer, and secure all the rebates, saving up to $10,000.
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Absolutely 📈 For its part, Electrek billed Haohan as a legitimate Tesla competitor in energy storage. And one story commenter isn't impressed with the latter company's progress, despite recent headlines for Megapack improvements — and the new Megablock.
"Seems like Tesla is becoming the BlackBerry of the EV and Battery storage market. First to get there, last to innovate," one reader wrote.
Another had a more nuanced take with a similar comparison to the mobile phone market: "This is like Android phone all over. Tesla opens up the battery storage market, China is able to replicate it and scale it. China literally controls the battery production now so it will be able to offer things at a lower price point. ... This is not like 20 years ago where Western dominates technology R&D. Nowadays, technology information is more widely available and whoever controls the manufacturing wins."
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