Why StorEn Tech is for the People

Deciding to invest in cleantech should be an easy ‘yes, here’s my check,’ right? Technologies focused on renewable power generation and storage help the world. After all, solar homes withstand natural disasters and flow batteries reduce carbon footprint, so who wouldn’t want to support products and services that make the environment better? In addition, the markets for sustainable energy and environmentally responsible products are some of the fastest-growing opportunities in the world.

But ‘investing,’ (by definition) is focused on making profits over a fairly short period. For venture capitalists (companies or individuals providing money and management support to new businesses) requests for cleantech investment are met with more reluctance than software or information technologies. Why? These industries often have a faster path to market – and to profits — than cleantech, where the development of a physical product requires materials, testing, and time. As a result, venture capital isn’t as readily available for the promising technologies that are needed to assuage climate change.

Broader Group of Stakeholders in Cleantech

With venture capital investment in cleantech down almost 30% in the last few years, a new system has developed to support cleantech initiatives.

1. Incubators

Organizations like Stony Brook University’s Clean Energy Business Incubator program support cleantech startups in several ways. They give entrepreneurs access to labs, mentors, potential investors, and management support. Importantly, start-ups can conduct testing and demonstrations of their technologies, critical phases of development for cleantech solutions. Incubators and accelerators are structured to support the longer time horizon and upfront capital needed for cleantech.

2. Crowdfunding

Raising capital through online funding sites have broadened clean tech’s reach beyond financial institutions and large investors. Start-ups also rely on crowdfunding to develop communities of people who want to support the development of solutions to the Earth’s challenges.

3. Individuals

People interested in sustainability are seeking out organizations that reflect their values. For these contributors, investments in cleantech aren’t just about financial windfalls but are a demonstrable commitment to creating a better world.

StorEn Tech’s Priority: Making Sustainable, Cost-Effective Energy Storage Available to Everyone

StorEn is focused on providing safe, long-lasting, economical energy storage as the world shifts to renewable energy. And that shift is well underway, as more than 150 countries recently joined together to launch the Global Commission on the Geopolitics of Energy Transformation. Renewable energy is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. StorEn is on pace to have a cost-effective storage solution ready to support the change.

We developed our relationship with Stony Brook’s Clean Energy Incubator program and our crowdfunding initiative with StartEngine to accomplish several goals:

To generate awareness of our game-changing energy storage technology
To fully vet (and optimize) the performance of our vanadium flow battery
To have a forum for sharing information about our plans, including our partnership with Multicom Resources supporting manufacturing and distribution
To provide opportunities for individual investors to benefit from both the company’s growth and being part of the team making our world better through sustainable energy storage

StorEn Technologies is dedicated to changing lives. To us, success means having our storage solution widely available. We want to safely supply cost-effective, reliable, long-life renewable energy to everyone. Our efforts will help modernize the energy grid, ensuring you have the power you need every day.

Join our team by investing and be part of the change!

How to Avoid Power BlackOuts

Most of the electricity we use is created on demand. When you flip on a light switch, electricity is generated and sent immediately to power the lightbulb. To meet power needs, independently managed regional balancing authorities control the generation and transmission of electricity within a specific area. When weather or utility equipment breakdowns disrupt transmission, or when demand exceeds the capacity available to generate power, residents and businesses experience an electrical blackout. You may be wondering: Batteries may reduce carbon footprint but is there a way to avoid power blackouts?

With extreme weather becoming more common and the U.S. utility infrastructure in need of upgrades, power outages seem unavoidable. Blackouts jumped +9% in 2016 and were more widespread, affecting 33% more people, according to the latest Eaton’s U.S. Blackout Tracker. And among the top 15 U.S. utilities, the most recently reported average downtime was more than two hours, with some outages averaging more than seven hours. Even though these are sobering statistics, it is possible to avoid power blackouts.

Using Renewable Energy with Storage

Transitioning to renewable energy sources like wind, water and solar with storage capabilities is one approach. A panel of researchers, led by Stanford University, recently proposed a plan to shift to 100% renewables and keep the power grid stable by relying on storage to avoid blackouts. Importantly, their research showed strong financial benefits. The cost per unit of energy, including health and climate costs would save 75% of the costs associated with the current energy structure.

Adding Storage Capabilities to the Current Grid

Incorporating storage into the existing electrical grid is a more immediate option for avoiding power blackouts. The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources is requiring utilities to integrate large-scale batteries into their systems by 2020. These batteries can capture energy from the grid, store it during non-peak times, and then deliver it when demand increases.

Creating Micro or Customer Grids

Microgrids are small-scale operations functioning independently from the main grid. Some rely on renewable energy and storage, or storage to hold grid-produced power generated in non-peak times to control their power supply. Microgrids can vary in size, from a neighborhood business district to a single location like an airport or residence.

Vanadium Batteries – Versatile, Safe and Reliable

Ernest Moniz, nuclear physicist and former Secretary of Energy, points to flow batteries as the solution for energy storage.

“Flow batteries is one of the most interesting directions for storage,” Moniz says, “because, roughly speaking, the energy is stored outside the battery rather than inside.”

Vanadium batteries offer several advantages for energy storage, including a longer cycle than lithium ion batteries and longer lifespans than lead acid or lithium ion options, up to 25 years, without any degradation in capacity. Size versatility enables vanadium batteries to be used broadly, from small systems to large utilities.

Power blackouts are becoming more familiar to all of us. But with energy storage options like vanadium batteries from StorEn becoming more widely available, you can keep the lights on.

Invest in StorEn Tech today.

Here’s to the Future of Next Generation Battery Storage Units

The power of partnership is accelerating StorEn’s development of the next generation of battery storage units. Our partners have expertise in the key areas needed to accelerate global sales and distribution of StorEn’s vanadium batteries.

Multicom Resources and Freedom Energy – Our Partners for Manufacturing and Distribution

November 2017 marked the start of StorEn’s agreement with Australia-based vanadium mine developer Multicom Resources Pty Ltd. This agreement establishes a vertically integrated supply chain for low-cost manufacturing, sale, and distribution of StorEn proprietary vanadium flow batteries.

The Multicom project is one of the largest vanadium deposits globally. With a well-defined drilled resource, the project is rapidly progressing through key milestones related to feasibility studies and environmental and permitting approvals.

Connected to the mine development Multicom, through its subsidiary Freedom Energy, is actively progressing discussions with Queensland local government officials regarding the establishment of an assembly and distribution factory for StorEn batteries in North Queensland.

Vanadium Pentoxide will be trucked from the mine to the distribution facility and converted to electrolyte. Flat packed StorEn units will be shipped to the factory where they will be assembled and distributed domestically within Australia and exported to the Asia Pacific region. By 2025, it is envisaged that 70,000 units per year will be assembled and distributed from Queensland.

In addition to the North Queensland facility, Freedom Energy is also progressing discussions with partners in mainland Asia who will act as agents to establish a strong sales pipeline for StorEn batteries in this region. These agents will also investigate secondary sites on the mainland for satellite distribution centres.

What Partnerships Mean for StorEn’s Success

The StorEn research and development team brings a 20-year shared history of working together. We have demonstrated success in the battery industry, with patents for fuel cells, cogeneration and energy storage. Our new stack embedding StorEn’s innovative patent-pending technology was recently shipped to the Environment Park for validation.

When the Queensland mine becomes operational, our partnership with mine developer Multicom means we will have an exclusive source of vanadium for the next 10 years under controlled pricing. Low cost stable pricing will maintain the competitive advantage of StorEn batteries. Both of our companies have the option to acquire equity interest in the other, making our work together mutually beneficial.

StorEn’s technical expertise with vanadium flow batteries united with the world class vanadium deposit being developed by Multicom creates a strong foundation for success. In addition, estimated demand by the internal American market, coupled with the sales pipeline being established by Freedom Energy in the Asia Pacific region is setting the company up for significant success.

Join us on our journey to success.

Invest in StorEn Tech today.