The Final piece of energy management in strata buildings is Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries
The Final piece of energy management in strata buildings is Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries
SCA Awards 2023 - Essay Submission
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“Lithium Batteries in buildings are pointless” this is the feedback from sustainability advisors and energy professionals. With the excitement of energy management in strata finally gaining pace, battery storage is the final piece in the puzzle to be joined with Embedded networks, solar PV systems and electric vehicle charging. But it hasn’t had the technology quite right so far. Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRFB) are the next significant addition for energy management in strata buildings. They will provide a more suitable storage solution compared to lithium-ion batteries and provide the final piece in energy management optimisation.
You wouldn't be alone if you had never heard of a VRFB. The commercially available options have been dominated by lithium-ion for every battery application, regardless of its suitability. A flow battery is liquid-based; in a vanadium redox flow battery, water is mixed with two chemicals that convert chemical energy into electrical energy. (The Green Energy Company) Vanadium is a non-volatile product that can change the state of charge easily and repetitively. Unlike Lithium, it is a readily available material and importantly it is recyclable after the 20-year life in a battery, making it a very green choice.
Vanadium flow batteries aren’t exactly a modern invention. It was first developed in the 1980s at the University of New South Wales. Maria Skyllas-Kazacos was a chemist investigating ways to store energy efficiently, and her team came up with the concept of using vanadium ions in different oxidation states to store and release electrical energy. Maria is still researching and educating scholars on this theory. (Zhang, Xinan, et al. 2016) The product has overcome hurdles during the time Maria has been working on the theory. It is now at a stage where it is commercially viable and will challenge Lithium-ion as a solution to energy management in residential applications.
The enormous take-up of Solar PV in Australian homes has created concerns for grid stability, making daytime energy production a surplus, but evening use is when residential use peaks. In addition, people desiring to charge their electric vehicles while at home at night which in turn is increasing the need for strata owners to consider the way the energy is managed in the building. Increasingly people are becoming aware that having an embedded network to govern the entire building’s electricity is not only an advantage to managing the stability of the distribution, but it is also a way to reduce the strata levies by generating income from the cheap energy. To maximise the most affordable electricity during the middle of the day, a battery energy storage system (BESS) can be distributed during the peak period.
The theory is sensible, but BESS hasn’t been recommended for residential applications with the joint statement along the lines of “the technology just needs to improve to be more cost-effective. By the time the battery has paid for itself, it is almost at the end of life.” (Steven, Bright Connect, 2023) Batteries available on the commercial market have approximately a 7-year return on the investment with only a 10-year lifespan. Regarding environmentally friendly considerations, lithium is not a renewable resource and can't be recycled, so property owners and energy management providers have been waiting on a solution to come along that can solve this restriction.
As the global market is accelerating into a sustainable low-carbon footprint, electrification has been at the forefront of all industries, particularly vehicles. The electric vehicle industry absorbs the vast amount of lithium produced, meaning other sectors must look for alternatives. (Herring, Garrot, 2022) The new solutions are set to beat Lithium at its own game, with lower safety risks, cost advantages, and greater flexibility. With Strata buildings not requiring mobility like vehicles and phones/laptops, it can use a heavier liquid-based system and reduce fire risks and competition for expensive resources.
Vanadium can be ethically sourced in Australia, where it is abundant. Vanadium can charge and discharge at total capacity for 20 years. At this point, the tanks have the liquid replaced and continue to provide a cost-effective solution for the building's energy. The batteries can supply the facilities with flexible charge over a prolonged period, where lithium-ion typically lasts only 2 hours, a 20kW vanadium can provide 10Kw over two hours or 2Kw over 10 hours without any adverse effect, and it will provide power consistently until the battery is depleted. The fear of electric vehicles catching fire while in a basement carpark makes many people afraid of detrimental technological advancements. Having a non-flammable inert solution for such a significant power source will be a relief to owners and insurance providers.
The vanadium redox flow battery is more environmentally considerate, cost-effective, and safer. It provides a better residential battery energy storage solution than Lithium-ion products currently offered on the market for strata owners. As this option becomes commercially available, it will give the next step for strata buildings to have a complete energy management system. Strata owners are increasingly required to consider their energy management to ensure stable, reliable electricity that meets the growing demands of the residents, and by taking advantage of the revenue opportunity, it can assist with funding the maintenance and running costs of the strata company. The benefits to the property's value are proven with the existing models displayed with solar and long the early adaptors waited for the solution to the peak evening demand to be managed with renewable energy solutions.
Author: Lee de Castro
More Resources and Information:
Images: In a VRFB (unlike with a lithium-ion battery), capacity (ie the store of electrolyte) is decoupled from power (ie the stack of electrodes). (Supplied: Royal Society of Chemistry)
Vanadium redox flow batteries are big business, as the $70 million merger that formed Invinity illustrates. Image: Invinity
V Sun - Australian Vanadium Battery
PV Magazine - Hybrid solar vanadium battery system withstands Australia’s harsh weather
WA - Government Plan for Flow Battery
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