Jolt Energy Storage lands battery storage grant

The company seeks to reduce the cost of battery storage to keep pace with the growth of renewable energy like solar and wind power. Storing energy for mass usage when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining is key to the company’s mission. In a statement to MiBiz.com, Jolt Co-Founder and CTO Tom Guarr said, “We’re trying to reduce the cost of storage to make it economically viable for utilities to pick renewable energy.” Jolt’s technology differs from conventional batteries that package components and rely on materials like lead, cobalt, lithium and manganese. As opposed to standard battery with components that lean on materials like lead, cobalt and lithium, Jolt uses a “a flow battery stack and control system,” which regulates materials stored in external tanks that are then passed through electrochemical cells. In the MiBiz article, Guarr compared the idea to a car that uses gasoline stored in a tank for an engine that produces power as you accelerate. The vehicle’s range is determined by the size of the gas tank. In Jolt’s case, the electrochemical cells act as the engine. Whereas high-density lithium-ion batteries can be placed in cars and other compact uses, battery stacks are meant for stationary sites that can be expanded. According to Guarr, this is an efficient way to scale up with utility-scale projects and send power to the grid. The organic materials used in Jolt’s process are under development at Michigan State University’s Bioeconomy Institute in Holland, where Guarr is the director of research and development. Jolt Energy Storage Technology is located at the Michigan State University Bioeconomy Institute on Lake Macatawa, in Holland, Michigan.