I'm surprised gg isn't all over this story. It's a huge deal for VRB Power.
VRB Power Systems Inc., a Vancouver-based maker of a new type of battery system, signed a $6.3 million deal last week with the developer of a 39-megawatt wind farm in Donegal, Ireland. The Sorne Hill Windfarm, being built in two phases, will be one of the largest wind farms in that country when it's complete.
The developer, Tapbury Management, plans to use VRB's "flow battery" technology to capture wind energy when it's not needed and use it later when it is — for example, during peak times when energy demand and prices are highest.
In effect, Tapbury wants to bring what's called "firmness" to an intermittent and not entirely predictable renewable energy source like wind, which gets points for being emission-free but is often criticized for not supplying power during the times we need it most (i.e. hot, still, humid days).
"This purchase is a significant milestone in the development of a real and credible alternative to fossil fuel generation in Ireland and Europe," Tapbury director John Ward said in a statement.
Important to note: This isn't just another demonstration or pilot project done on a small scale to showcase a technology's market potential. This is a commercial deal, representing one of the largest in terms of coupling an energy storage technology with a wind farm. [My emphasis.]
thestar.com
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