On August 25, 2022, TerraSol was thrilled to join Information Technology Asset Disposition (ITAD) company Sycamore International and leading iron flow battery manufacturer ESS Inc. for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony of Sycamore’s Solar plus Energy Storage Project.
The project consists of a 115 kW roof mounted SunPower Solar Array coupled with ESS’s 75kw/400kWh Energy Warehouse. TerraSol designed and installed this microgrid project which will provide reliable power to the Sycamore International industrial recycling facility in West Grove, Pennsylvania.
The system will greatly reduce peak electricity demand and offset 100% of the facility’s consumption while also being capable of providing back-up power in the case of a grid outage.
The Energy Warehouse can provide 50kW of power for 8 hours. The battery system uses non-toxic materials and has a proven track record of being able to handle 25,000 charge/discharge cycles. It is vastly more reliable than lithium-based batteries, and it does not pose any fire or end of life recycling issues.
Sycamore is a technology recycling company dedicated to enabling a global circular economy; as such, the project was an ideal match with its values. “Through collaboration with TerraSol, we identified ESS’s sustainable, American-made energy storage technology as the best solution on the market to achieve our climate and business operations goals,” said Steve Figgatt, Sycamore’s CEO.
“This solar and energy storage microgrid delivers backup power when needed to keep our facility fully operational, has a very reasonable return on the capital investment through both electricity production and peak load shaving, and enables our facility to operate comfortably with a net zero carbon footprint.”
The ribbon-cutting event was also attended by U.S. Representative Christina “Chrissy” Houlahan (PA-06). She commented, “This project represents the kind of forward-thinking solution we need to build a decarbonized, resilient energy system.”
The Energy Warehouse is designed for 25 years of operation with no capacity fade or cycling limitations. Its design uses the same electrolyte on both the negative and positive sides of the battery, eliminating the risk of cross-contamination and allowing for longer life.
Eric Dresselhuys, CEO of ESS, stated, “ESS is proud to partner with TerraSol Energies and Sycamore International to meet the needs of an industrial operation with our safe and non-toxic iron flow battery systems. Our long-duration storage technology makes it possible to deliver clean energy 24/7 for the uninterrupted operation of critical facilities.”
Read more about the project in the full press release.