PR Newswire/Les Echos/
Press release
N° 47-09
Saft partners with Apollo Solar on US DOE 'Solar Energy Grid
Integration Systems' (SEGIS) project
Saft Li-ion battery system will provide 'time-shifting' renewable energy
storage in project to develop innovative smart grid products
Paris, September 3, 2009 - Saft, world leader in the design, development and
manufacture of high-end batteries for industry and defence, is supplying a
state-of-the-art lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery system to provide energy storage
for one of the 'Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems' (SEGIS) projects funded
by the US Department of Energy (DOE). Saft is working in collaboration with
Apollo Solar, a company specializing in the design and manufacture of power
electronics for solar energy systems, which has just been awarded a contract
for the second design phase of SEGIS to deliver a working prototype of a less
expensive, more efficient Smart Grid inverter.
The objective of the SEGIS program, managed by Sandia National Laboratories,
is to develop high performance products that will allow photovoltaics to
become a more integral part of household and commercial Smart-Energy systems.
Apollo Solar has been selected by the DOE to design and develop a cost
competitive and more efficient Smart Grid inverter to enhance the value
of solar electric systems to home and business users. The innovative design
will incorporate energy storage and two-way communications between solar
electrical systems and utilities.
The role of the Saft Li-ion battery system, which will be sized at around
10 kWh, will be to provide efficient energy storage that will enable the
solar energy to be effectively 'time shifted' to make it available for home
consumption during periods of peak demand, or for injection into the grid
when needed either for support or when it will generate the most economic
value. Saft is already demonstrating this approach in SOL-ION, a
Franco-German project dedicated to the development of a new concept in
energy conversion and storage for grid connected photovoltaic (PV) systems
in Europe.
"The SEGIS pro gram aims to maximise the value of distributed solar electric
generation, offer greater control of electricity consumption and its cost
and to anticipate the emergence of future smart grids" says John Pfeifer,
President and CEO of Apollo Solar. "The inclusion of Li-ion energy storage
and its capability for time-shifting was there fore a key success factor
in our project proposal."
This contract means that the partnership is well-positioned to progress
to the next phase of SEGIS, which will focus on the field demonstration,
deployment, and commercialization of the products being developed.
About Saft
Saft (Euronext: Saft) is a world specialist in the design and manufacture of
high-tech batteries for industry. Saft batteries are used in high performance
applications, such as industrial infrastructure and processes, transportation,
space and defence. Saft is the world's leading manufacturer of nickel-cadmium
batteries for industrial applications and of primary lithium batteries for a
wide range of end markets. The group is also the European leader for
specialised advanced technologies for the defence and space industries.
With approximately 4,000 employees worldwide, Saft is present in 18
countries. Its 15 manufacturing sites and extensive sales network enable the
group to serve its customers worldwide. Saft is listed in the SBF 120 index
on the Paris Stock Market.
For more information, visit Saft at www.saftbatteries.com
About Apollo Solar
Apollo Solar pro vides premium solar photovoltaic power electronics in a full
line of inverters, charge controllers, and communications modules that
integrate into electric power systems for fail-safe installation and use.
With more than 40 years of experience in the design and manufacture of
power systems for numerous industrial Fortune 500 clients, NASA, and the
US military, Apollo Solar brings to the market products that feature optimal
solar energy harvest and web-based communications capabilities which
increase performance, enhance reliability, and reduce overall system costs.
Learn more at www.apollosolar.com.
Press contacts
Jill Ledger, Saft Communications Director, Tel: + 33 1 49 93 17 77
e-mail:jill.ledger@saftbatteries.com
Yannick Duvergé, Financial Dynamics, Corporate Press contact
Tel.: +33 1 47 03 68 10; e-mail: yannick.duverge@fd.com
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