Siemens, Aquion Combine Technologies for Energy Storage Project; Razvan Panati Comments

Siemens Industry Inc. and Aquion Energy Inc. have signed a memorandum of understanding to integrate their respective battery and drive technologies for a project intended to address customers’ energy storage requirements.

Siemens has transported the first batch of Aquion’s aqueous hybrid ion batteries to its Alpharetta, Ga.-based facility for test integration with Siemens’ Sinamics S120 drive system, Aquion said Tuesday.

Razvan Panati, director of new technologies at Siemens Industry, said the company intends for the memorandum to validate Aquion’s proposed technology with the goal of marketing microgrid and renewable energy management services to customers.

Siemens’ Sinamics S120 inverter technology and Aquion’s AE12 microgrid and grid batteries are undergoing tests at Aquion’s Pittsburgh, Pa.-based facility and are slated for further evaluation at Siemens’ Alpharetta plant.

“We look forward to showing that AHI batteries can be integrated with Siemens inverters to deliver cutting-edge storage solutions that are reliable, safe, cost-effective and environmentally benign to customers on a global scale,” said Scott Pearson, CEO of Aquion.

Aquion builds beta AHI batteries at its Westmoreland County, Pa.-based facility and plans to sell the products in 2014.