A new research partnership will show how advanced lead batteries can support electricity grid energy storage and plug-in to more renewable and other storage requirements for low carbon energy systems.

The project is being led by Loughborough University and the University of Warwick, supported by the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI). 

Demand for batteries as a storage technology is steadily growing across the globe in order to support greater levels of grid flexibility, reliability and decarbonization, as more renewables are integrated into the grid and in the face of extreme weather events.

By developing more advanced levels of modelling and prediction of lead battery behaviour for utility grid storage, the research is geared towards facilitating higher uptake of lead batteries to support the energy grid.

Professor Dani Strickland, of Loughborough's Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, said: “The availability of low-cost powerful microprocessors is fuelling an explosion in our capability to monitor, understand and impact battery degradation in real world situations at low cost.

“This project is exciting because it will use expertise in the partner organisations to transition lead acid batteries to the world of big data and smart energy storage."

She added: "Loughborough are very excited to be part of this project and consortium. The battery cycling facilities at Warwick University are some of the best in the UK.

“Our ability to access the data from their testing will give us the opportunity to gather and analyse data in ways that would not have possible without this consortium.

“In particular, on improving our understanding of battery mitigation control strategies using advanced battery monitoring."

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