Eos Energy Enterprises, Inc. has been selected by Dominion Energy Virginia (Dominion Energy) to provide 16 MWh of storage to participate in a groundbreaking pilot project that is expected to strengthen the resiliency of the region?s electrical grid. The Darbytown Storage Pilot Project would measure the performance of the Eos Z3? zinc-hybrid energy storage system across multiple use cases.

Eos?s manufactured in America system is focused on providing safe, reliable, and flexible long-duration storage that is critical to efficiently harness power from clean energy sources like wind and solar. The Eos Z3 energy system strives to address the intermittency of renewable energy by storing energy when there is excess supply and then discharging that energy when the sun is not shining, or the wind is not blowing. In this project, the Eos Z3 system?s primary use case would provide Dominion Energy customers with four hours of discharge capacity; however, the Eos Z3 battery provides the flexibility to be configured for discharging energy across a wide operating range that can be as little as three hours and up to twelve hours.

If approved by both the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) and Henrico County, construction on the project would begin at the Darbytown Power Station by late 2024 and be operational by late 2026. The total project would store up to 11 MW of electricity and power up to 2,750 homes in the region, with Eos contributing 4 MW or 16 MWh. The Darbytown project, proposed in a filing made on September 18th to the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), comes as Dominion is in the process of developing the largest offshore wind project in the U.S. and continuing to grow the second-largest solar power fleet nationwide.

In addition to a longer duration, Eos Z3 batteries present several other advantages over more traditional energy storage systems. Eos Z3? modules are inherently nonflammable. With a water-based electrolyte and flame-retardant polymer framing, there?s minimal risk of thermal runaway.

When fully charged, they?re at most mildly acidic (pH 2-4 range). Even when overcharged, the predominant outgassing component is water vapor.