Altair Nanotechnologies, AES collaborate on energy storage products

After sinking $3 million into a company, what better to do than utilize the synergies and compliments between the two and crank out new products to better our lives? AES is apparently digging said mantra and looking to profit on its strategic investment in Altair Nanotechnologies by announcing a "joint development and equipment purchase agreement." Essentially, the two will reportedly work together to jointly "develop a suite of energy storage solutions," some of which are expected to deliver over 1MW of power and 500KWh of energy. Unsurprisingly, Altairnano is supposedly working with AES to apply these products and systems at "strategic points within the electrical grid to more efficiently deal with congestion, peak energy consumption, and real-time fluctuations in electricity demand." Interestingly, little is being said thus far about the actual design of the unit, but a prototype is slated to be completed by the year's end.

[Via CNET]

[Jeff @ Jul 24th 2007 8:42AM]

WOW they are making a battery.

[Phil @ Jul 24th 2007 8:42AM]

It's a relief to know that energy storage technology is advancing to the point that we can store all of the free electricity that Steorn's Orbo will generate! The conservatives were so right - science IS solving the world's problems faster than we can create them!

But seriously - this type of super house battery will complement real renewable energy tech (like solar cells) so that when my neighbor asks "But what'll ya do for power when it's night-time??? Ka-huuuuuh?", while I'm having the solar panels mounted on my roof, I'll have a better answer for him than, "run along now and watch some professional wresting."

[theChipmunk @ Jul 26th 2007 2:26PM]

Now I'm probably wrong, but isn't power a measure of energy available in a set time and energy is, well, energy! So shouldn't it be "1MW of energy and 500KWh of power"?

Just wondering - as I say, I'm probably wrong...

theChipmunk