The Battery Innovation Center (BIC) at the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) in Crane, Indiana – and it incorporates a rather novel solar carport design.
The BIC’s focus is on the development, testing and bringing to market of safe, reliable and lighter weight energy storage systems for commercial and defense sectors.
Incorporating a USD $15.6 million energy research lab, the BIC will be capable of managing all aspects of the battery life cycle; from basic and applied research to low volume manufacturing.
“The Battery Innovation Center’s diverse capabilities in energy storage system prototyping, testing and evaluation, and microgrid implementation are exactly what are needed to accelerate the development of this technology,” said BIC President Charles LaSota.
BIC is already undertaking several research projects, including the development and prototyping of next generation Lithium-ion cell designs.
An interesting feature of the Center is a solar carport – the two-car solar canopy took just two days to assemble and doesn’t used fixed footings; but instead a ballasted design.
The “Isola” carport was developed and installed by renewz. Tested and certified to withstand average snow load of 120 kg/m2 and average wind load of 100 km/h; the system can be mounted on anchoring concrete ballasts or steel base plates – no foundation is required. Manufactured from solid anodized aluminum, with stainless
steel plates and joints, Isola is available in 2, 4 and 6 car options
“Having now built several solar carports in 2013 of this type, our technology and team have clearly demonstrated how armed forces, educational institutions, governments, power utility and corporate entities around the world can quickly and easily deploy renewable, clean energy supplies for their electrical vehicle charging infrastructure, while powering their electric fleets towards true ‘zero-emission’ targets,” said Sass M. Peress, CEO of renewz.
