a small firm in germany has big ambitions in green energy - lithium iron phosphate battery

Germany, Germany
Like many German consumers, nurse Christine Lacher and her husband, Reinhard, are factory supervisors and are very careful about energy use.
On a hillside here, they built their dream house, insulated with clay walls with warm water delivered by pipes.
On the roof, they installed solar water heaters and solar panels enough to provide enough power for their own needs, including charging their Nissan Leaf electric vehicles, there is still something left to sell to the grid.
"I can say that I have generated energy myself . "Lacher said.
"This is very important to me.
"While Lachers paid thousands of euros for all their energy --
They say their investment is worth it in the long run.
They say more independence will protect them from the increase in electricity bills they and other consumers expect from big German utilities.
They are also pleased to be largely free from the electricity generated by fossil fuels such as nuclear energy and oil and gas.
"I can be proud that I can save money, which is good for the world . "Lacher said.
A large part of Lachers's investment is the battery provided by a company located in this Alpine village.
Songnen is a small business with 400 employees, but it has great ambitions.
It's starting to supply batteries, but it wants to play its skills in storing and digitally managing power to challenge or even replace large utilities.
Sonnen has established a community of about 10,000 households, such as Lachers, who effectively get the electricity they still need from each other through the company's trading system.
"What they offer is a real vandal;
"You don't need big utilities anymore," Paul said . "
Josef Patt, chief executive officer of ecapetientrepreneurial Partners, a German investment company, has invested 10 million euros (
About $12 million)in the company.
"They are an energy source for Facebook.
"Germany, like any other place, is a great place to observe earthquakes --
With the development of the global electricity market, this trend is gradually expanding.
As part of the energy transformation efforts, German consumers have spent about € 190 billion over the past 20 years subsidizing renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
These renewable sources now account for about one.
German electricity ranked third on average, reaching a high of 86% a day in May 2016.
Renewable energy as an energy source is very different from the large natural gas, coal and nuclear power plants owned by large utilities.
Renewable energy facilities, especially solar panels, are smaller and scattered across the country, often owned by small investors like Lachers, rather than by large companies.
Renewable energy also reduces the price of generators, helping to turn electricity into low-cost electricity
Margin goods.
The emergence of renewable energy is reshaping the relationship between consumers and energy providers, which is critical to the quality of life, but is often taken for granted.
Thanks to the choice of new power supplies and emerging digital technologies, consumers can not only demand electronics on wires.
As a result, energy suppliers, once almost impeccable incumbents, are forced to win their "rights" in future markets, said j. org st. glich, a partner in consulting firm Oliver Wyman energy practice.
Sonnen helps customers reduce or even interrupt their connection to utilities.
It provides customers with the control of the battery and the management of the battery.
With one of these devices, which has a 6 feet long white steel housing, customers can store excess power generated by solar panels during the day and then pull it down when needed.
The company also took a few steps.
At a cost of € 20 per month, its customers, while not completely out of the grid, can rely on their community rather than the main utility to generate electricity.
The company recently announced plans to build a power company.
In 2,900-sharing community
Residential development in Arizona.
Sonnen also has access to a number of customers' batteries and provides aggregate power to power grid operators when reduced and reduced wind and solar flow generate demand.
With the resulting revenue, the company is able to power customers who pay monthly fees.
Analysts say Sonnen has a good opportunity to develop in the future power market, as its battery system already has a large customer base, as well as the experience and feedback it brings.
"What they are building in the services provided by the community is a natural extension of their business," said Damien Sawyer, European head of Green City capital advisor, who advises on clean energy transactions
Sonnen portrayed himself as a rebel.
"Everyone can connect with each other and share energy where and when needed," a statement on its website reads . ".
"This will free our world from dependence on fossil fuels and anonymous energy companies.
Sonnen is backed by GE, a big US company, and the venture fund.
The company, which has operations in the United States, Australia and Europe, is growing rapidly.
Revenue tripled last year.
An increase of 30 to 42 million euros over last year.
Sonnen said it was working with the Puerto Rican authorities, where the grid was badly damaged by Hurricane Maria, to fill some gaps with what it calls a micro-grid based on batteries and solar panels.
Sonnen does not produce batteries, but it says it offers the best equipment for the market in terms of reliability and safety.
It has a test lab at its headquarters, and on the latest day, Chief battery scientist Michael Geiger used a machine that imitates the insertion of nails into the battery, triggering
Sonnen uses lithium. iron-
The phosphate battery produced by Sony is said to be safer than the typical battery used in E. V.
Mobile phone and mobile phone
Talking about the burning of the Boeing 787 s battery, Christoph Ostermann, CEO and co-president of Sonnen
The founder said, "you don't want this to happen in the house.
"In Germany, Sonnen is taking advantage of the energy independence spirit brought about by renewable energy growth and other breakthroughs.
It may not be considered that the pastoral landscape in southern Bavaria is a technology center, but many of the 2,600 residents in Songnen's hometown have invested 40 million euros in various energy technologies over the years.
The village produces about seven times as much energy as it consumes, selling the remaining power to the grid.
Wind turbines rotate on nearby hillsides, and many brightly colored houses are heated with cooling water from generators powered by methane gas generated from the feces of local cows.
Some of the money earned is used to fund municipal activities such as skiing trips run by sports clubs.
Deputy Mayor and energy coordinator Garnett Moger said that in general, the village has restricted these investments to the hands of the locals, increasing their popularity among the residents.
He was referring to large wind turbines and said: "If big companies invest, I'm sure they won't like them . ".
Still, Wildpoldsried's energy project has attracted experts from companies like Siemens, an electrical equipment supplier, to try out the village's power grid.
Local interest in energy has also attracted Sonnen, one of the founders of Sonnen who grew up nearby.
Most importantly, Sonnen is keen to meet the needs of renewable energy enrichment: to store excess electricity and keep it in place.
Although the company's activities are relatively small, its leaders say they may be much larger.
"We think we are at the beginning of a big trend . "Ostermann said.