Caption: As Ireland works toward its goal of 40 percent renewable energy generation by 2020, the Tallaght Smart Grid Testbed will demonstrate how energy storage can minimize grid instability.
Freqcon GmbH, a German-based developer and distributor of renewable energy systems, has deployed an energy storage system for the Tallaght Smart Grid Testbed in Ireland that utilizes Maxwell Technologies Inc. ultracapacitors and lithium-ion batteries provided by Maxwell Technologies.
The Tallaght Smart Grid Testbed, run by the South Dublin County Council and the Micro Electricity Generation Association (MEGA), will demonstrate how energy storage can minimize electricity distribution issues and grid instability.
“As the European Union, China, the United States and other countries around the world work toward their renewable energy consumption and generation targets, ensuring optimal renewable energy production will be critical,” said Dr. Franz Fink, president and CEO of Maxwell. “With a reduced number of fossil-fuel-based synchronous generators in operation, grid stability is becoming a challenge, and we expect ultracapacitors will play an important role in addressing this issue.”
Ultracapacitors store energy in an electric field and are able to charge and discharge in as little as fractions of a second, perform through a broad temperature range, and resist shock and vibration.
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