At the August 7-9, 2024 Energy Storage Grand Challenge Summit in Bellevue, WA, the Office of Electricity (OE) announced 12 selectees of the inaugural Storage Acceleration Vouchers to help solve pressing energy storage technology and deployment challenges. These selectees represent start-ups, utilities, EV innovators, builders, and electricity industry entrepreneurs that may now use these vouchers—equivalent to 40 hours of work/time with national lab experts—to solve challenges today for a better energy storage future tomorrow.
By supporting these storage innovators, OE is helping to advance the technologies that will revolutionize the energy storage industry to advance the nation’s decarbonization goals. These accelerated in-kind vouchers were opened, selected, and announced in 48 hours, representing continuing efforts to increase access to best-in-class national lab experts and facilities.
“These selections represent some of today’s most cutting-edge research, development and deployment of energy storage technology,” said Mo Kamaludeen, OE’s Storage Validation Director, who announced the selectees. “We look forward to these companies being matched with the most brilliant minds in our national labs to inspire solutions and avoid valleys of death that will ultimately advance storage technologies.”
These vouchers will help increase the commercialization and demonstration of innovative energy storage technologies. Specifically, the selectees (listed below) will receive services including:
- Battery recycling process and supply chain model/tool
- Access to advanced and cutting-edge instruments beyond bench top equipment
- Technical modeling or analysis
- Testing and performance validation
- Commercialization strategy support market assessment support, technical modeling and analysis, testing and performance validation, and commercialization strategy support
Learn about the DOE National Laboratory capabilities accessible with a voucher.
| Applicant Company | Capability and National Lab |
| Coulomb Technology, Inc. | Battery Manufacturing Facility (BMF): BMF Tools – Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) |
| Higher Wire Inc. | Battery Recycling & Supply Chain Tool: EVERBAT – Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) |
| CMBlu Energy, Inc | Life Cycle Modeling: AEM – Idaho National Laboratory (INL) |
| e-Zinc US Inc. | High Precision Materials Characterization Tool: Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory |
| EarthEn Energy | ESS Optimization Tool: ESET – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) |
| Chugach Electric Association, Inc. | ESS Project Support: ES Demonstration Support – Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) |
| Alsym Energy Inc. | High Precision Materials Characterization Tool: Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)/SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory |
| Persynergy LLC | Unified Platform for ES analytics: QUEST – Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) |
| Inlyte Energy Inc | TEA System Design including ESS: REopt – National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) |
| Re-New Homes LLC | Life Cycle Modeling: CellSage – Idaho National Laboratory (INL) |
| Ridgetop Group Inc. | Industry Standardized Manufacturing & Design Technoeconomic Tool: BATPAC – Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) |
| Customized Energy Solutions | BTMS Design to Accommodate EV Charging: EVI-EDGES – National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) |
Storage Acceleration Voucher companies and national laboratories will work independently of the Office of Electricity to define their scopes of work, then delve into the work of finding solutions to the companies’ challenges with specific products or projects through late winter 2025.
The Storage Acceleration Voucher program is closed to new applicants. To stay informed about future opportunities, please sign up for updates from the ESGC here.
Timeline:
August 7
4 - 6 p.m. PT: ESGC Summit attendees heard DOE unveil the Storage Acceleration Voucher Program’s details, then headed over to the Showcase to see the national lab tools and expertise in action during live demonstrations.
August 8
12 p.m. PT: Applicants met the deadline to apply for the Storage Acceleration Voucher Program.
August 9
3 - 3:30 p.m. PT: Companies selected to receive a Storage Acceleration Voucher attended the ESGC Summit session—just for them—to hear important information from the labs about next steps.
By October
Labs and Voucher recipients communicate to make sure each had its necessary paperwork so companies can access tools and expertise, and book time with experts.
By November
Voucher recipients work with their labs, tools, and experts to solve their company’s challenges.
By February
Work between labs and voucher recipients finishes up.
By March
Labs and voucher recipients communicate their accomplishments and progress toward finding a solution to accelerate the future of energy storage. Each participating lab reports key outcomes from the work to DOE.