FENECON GmbH, Webasto SE and ZnR Batteries SAS will be taking home the innovation prize after impressing the panel of judges with their solutions. Since The smarter E Europe 2020 was canceled in light of the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s prize was presented at an online AWARD Ceremony held on June 30 – along with The smarter E AWARD and Intersolar AWARD. This year, companies were once again rewarded for their pioneering solutions and products with the storage industry’s innovation prize, the ees AWARD. The innovations of the ten AWARD finalists for 2020 ranged from mobile and stationary battery and energy storage technologies to components for energy storage systems to battery production technologies. Together, they are driving the modernization of our energy infrastructure and have a crucial role to play in the creation of a flexible and reliable grid system. On June 30, 2020, the winners of the ees AWARD were announced and celebrated in a live-streamed virtual AWARD Ceremony with an international audience.
The ees AWARD 2020 Winners
FENECON GmbH (Germany): FENECON Industrial
Feilmeier New Energy Consulting (FENECON) was founded in 2011 and is a provider of electricity storage systems of all sizes. FENECON Industrial is a plug and play storage system in a container with an open EMS software platform that enables the use of a wide variety of industrial and grid applications while maintaining manufacturer independence at the same time. This is a zero and second-life concept, optimized for mobile BEV batteries. The flexible design makes it easier to implement new or second life EV batteries. The jury was impressed with this well-thought-out system approach that creates a platform for intelligently integrating zero life or second life automotive batteries, taking advantage of the automotive industry’s scale and addressing end-of-life EV battery challenges. In addition, the jury commended the modern and flexible energy management due to the integration of the system with the openEMS platform.
Webasto SE (Germany): CV Standard Battery System
A global systems partner of vehicle manufacturers, Webasto focuses on sustainability as a key aspect of future mobility, including reducing fuel consumption and the use of alternative drive systems. The Webasto CV Standard Battery System is an off-the-shelf plug-and-play traction battery solution for commercial vehicles. Designed with total cost of ownership in mind, the system features a flexible two-layer design for easier installation and voltage scaling that enables using the same product in smaller trucks and large buses or trucks. The jury awarded this product for its scalability, its possibly wide application in diverse vehicles, and its ability to retrofit existing vehicles with minimal costs, while providing battery systems to vehicle manufacturers.
ZnR Batteries SAS (France): The Zinium Zinc-Air Rechargeable Battery
ZnR Batteries is a technological subsidiary of the EDF Group, which addresses the climate crisis by building a net zero energy future through providing electricity solutions and services. The Zinium Zinc-Air rechargeable battery contains Zinc-Air cells made of components that are submerged in an aqueous electrolyte called Zinolyte®. This makes the battery rechargeable. Zinium uses ambient air to function – the battery absorbs and releases oxygen while charging and discharging, and the storage system has dedicated proprietary battery management. It also includes a porous anode that is mainly made of zinc, it incorporates other components such as manganese and calcium – and it contains neither rare earths nor precious metals.
The jury of the ees AWARD commended the visionary approach to safe and clean battery technology. While new technologies often face challenges as they are commercialized, the jury recognized the well-thought- out strategy to target residential, commercial, and industrial energy storage markets that have lower entry barriers.
ees is now open 365 days a year
As a platform for the new energy world, The smarter E and the energy exhibition ees concentrate on sharing information on energy industry topics and providing a networking opportunity for global industry players – now with a number of additional digital formats. The portfolio of the innovation hub and its four energy exhibitions Intersolar, ees, Power2Drive and EM-Power includes not just virtual award ceremonies but also podcasts, webinars, innovation days, digital conferences and other online events. (hcn)
