Several projects designed to help improve the efficiency and reliability of the electrical grid and advanced electric vehicle (EV) technology will receive $43 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).
These projects are supported through two new ARPA-E programs: Advanced Management and Protection of Energy Storage Devices (AMPED) and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR).
"This latest round of ARPA-E projects seek to address the remaining challenges in energy-storage technologies, which could revolutionize the way Americans store and use energy in electric vehicles, the grid and beyond, while also potentially improving the access to energy for the U.S. military at forward operating bases in remote areas," says Secretary of Energy Steven Chu.
Twelve research projects have received $30 million in funding under the AMPED program, which aims to develop advanced sensing and control technologies that could provide new innovations in safety and performance for grid-scale and vehicle batteries. AMPED is focused on maximizing the potential of existing battery chemistries.
ARPA-E has also awarded a total of $13 million for seven projects to enterprising small businesses to pursue energy-storage developments for stationary power and EVs. The goal of these projects is to develop new battery chemistries and battery designs, according to the DOE.
