Kansas City Power & Light (KCP&L), MRIGlobal and Exergonix Inc. have announced the installation and trial of a new smart grid energy storage technology in Kansas City.
The new technology is a nano-battery cell developed by Exergonix, a Lee's Summit, Mo.-based firm. The 1 MW battery is in its first live smart grid test and was installed this summer at the KCP&L SmartGrid Innovation Park near 48th Street and Troost Avenue. The battery will support KCP&L's SmartGrid Demonstration Area.
With the installation, KCP&L is testing the battery system's effectiveness for managing energy on the electric grid. The battery stores solar energy produced in the Demonstration Area and is used to support energy delivery during peak demand times of the day.
MRIGlobal, a research and development organization headquartered in Kansas City, will support the trial by conducting independent tests and analysis on the performance of the battery. The organization will examine environmental and economic performance, as well as the technical operations, durability and reliability of the system.
"What KCP&L learns about the future of energy through the SmartGrid Demonstration Project will not only benefit us, but will also benefit all of our customers as we learn new, more efficient ways to deliver electricity," says Terry Bassham , KCP&L president and CEO. "This partnership with Exergonix and MRIGlobal to test new energy storage technologies is one component of this exciting project."
