Peak Energy's largest sodium-ion battery system goes online in the United States, challenging the dominance of lithium batteries
Denver-based battery manufacturer Peak Energy today announced the official deployment of its first grid-scale sodium-ion pyrophosphate (NFPP) battery system at the Solar Technology Acceleration Center (SolarTAC) in Aurora, Colorado. This system will be the largest of its kind globally.
The system, with over 3 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy storage, will be part of a shared pilot project involving nine independent power producers (IPPs) and utility customers.
A key feature of Peak's NFPP system is its patented "passive cooling" system, specifically designed around the NFPP battery chemistry.
Peak's physics-based design, combined with the inherent thermal stability of NFPP, enables long-term stable operation of the battery cells at high temperatures. This passive cooling is achieved through thermal coupling, eliminating the need for traditional air conditioning systems.
This design reduces system auxiliary energy consumption by over 90%, resulting in a project lifecycle cost reduction of approximately 20% compared to traditional LFP systems. Furthermore, battery degradation is reduced by 33% over the 20-year project lifecycle.
From a 20-year total cost of ownership perspective, our system can save up to $75 per kilowatt-hour in net present value, exceeding even the cost of the battery cells themselves.
Peak Energy further controls costs through an innovative testing mechanism. Unlike the industry's common "sequential pilot" approach (working with one customer at a time), Peak established and self-funded a "shared pilot program," simultaneously involving nine IPPs and utilities.
While Dales expressed positive views on recent policies such as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), saying they will help accelerate domestic manufacturing, he emphasized Peak's mission to "bring the battery supply chain back to the United States." He pointed out that the United States' abundant natural resources, such as soda ash, provide a natural advantage for the large-scale domestic production of sodium-ion batteries.
OBBB offers attractive tax incentives, particularly for technologies that are not sourced from "foreign entities of concern." He added, "This policy also specifically encourages domestic manufacturing and provides a clear path for battery companies to grow." "
Unlike many of its peers who rely on subsidies, Peak adheres to a private equity financing route to avoid the "policy whiplash" effect brought about by policy changes.
Dales believes that sodium-ion batteries have a natural advantage in grid-scale energy storage. While LFP has a longer commercial history in grid applications, sodium and lithium both have decades of research and development experience. However, they were long marginalized due to their unsuitability for mobile applications.
The automotive industry drove the scale-up of lithium-ion batteries, leading to lower costs and their eventual adoption as the default technology. However, that does not mean it is the best choice for grid energy storage.
Peak Energy's largest sodium-ion battery system goes online in the United States, challenging the dominance of lithium batteries
Denver-based battery manufacturer Peak Energy today announced the official deployment of its first grid-scale sodium-ion pyrophosphate (NFPP) battery system at the Solar Technology Acceleration Center (SolarTAC) in Aurora, Colorado. This system will be the largest of its kind globally.
The system, with over 3 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy storage, will be part of a shared pilot project involving nine independent power producers (IPPs) and utility customers.
A key feature of Peak's NFPP system is its patented "passive cooling" system, specifically designed around the NFPP battery chemistry.
Peak's physics-based design, combined with the inherent thermal stability of NFPP, enables long-term stable operation of the battery cells at high temperatures. This passive cooling is achieved through thermal coupling, eliminating the need for traditional air conditioning systems.
This design reduces system auxiliary energy consumption by over 90%, resulting in a project lifecycle cost reduction of approximately 20% compared to traditional LFP systems. Furthermore, battery degradation is reduced by 33% over the 20-year project lifecycle.
From a 20-year total cost of ownership perspective, our system can save up to $75 per kilowatt-hour in net present value, exceeding even the cost of the battery cells themselves.
Peak Energy further controls costs through an innovative testing mechanism. Unlike the industry's common "sequential pilot" approach (working with one customer at a time), Peak established and self-funded a "shared pilot program," simultaneously involving nine IPPs and utilities.
While Dales expressed positive views on recent policies such as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), saying they will help accelerate domestic manufacturing, he emphasized Peak's mission to "bring the battery supply chain back to the United States." He pointed out that the United States' abundant natural resources, such as soda ash, provide a natural advantage for the large-scale domestic production of sodium-ion batteries.
OBBB offers attractive tax incentives, particularly for technologies that are not sourced from "foreign entities of concern." He added, "This policy also specifically encourages domestic manufacturing and provides a clear path for battery companies to grow." "
Unlike many of its peers who rely on subsidies, Peak adheres to a private equity financing route to avoid the "policy whiplash" effect brought about by policy changes.
Dales believes that sodium-ion batteries have a natural advantage in grid-scale energy storage. While LFP has a longer commercial history in grid applications, sodium and lithium both have decades of research and development experience. However, they were long marginalized due to their unsuitability for mobile applications.
The automotive industry drove the scale-up of lithium-ion batteries, leading to lower costs and their eventual adoption as the default technology. However, that does not mean it is the best choice for grid energy storage.
