CleanTech OC Daily - 7/5/12

Behind the scenes of Primus Power’s battery lab
Primus Power, a startup in Hayward, Calif., could be installing the first commercial deployment of its grid-scale batteries (EnergyPods) with the Modesto Irrigation District by the end of 2013. Primus Power’s EnergyPods are not like the regular lithium ion batteries but rather flow batteries, which are large devices that pump liquid electrolyte over an electrode to store energy.

Stanford Scientists Breathe New Life Into Old Edison Battery

Green Building Elements reports on an old battery technology and its potential use in electric vehicles or for storing electricity produced from wind turbines and solar panels. Stanford University scientists have put a rechargeable technology  spin on a battery developed by Thomas Edison more than a century ago. The new ultrafast nickel-iron battery can be fully charged in about 2 minutes and discharged in less than 30 seconds.

NASA Developing High-Flying Wind Technology

In recent years, emerging wind energy technology has focused on creating devices that can go much higher in the air in order to harness the faster moving wind there. These airborne devices could potentially generate up to 27 times the amount of energy of current turbines. According to NASA, there are two main issues with these new airborne systems - poor aerodynamics and autonomous systems. Given this, NASA wants to develop a  simpler and inexpensive system with better aerodynamics.