Grid Storage Launchpad Opens Doors for Grid-Scale Battery Testing

RICHLAND, Wash.—Battery companies can now apply to have their grid-scale energy storage systems independently tested at the Department of Energy’s Grid Storage Launchpad, housed at DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

To connect to the nation’s electrical grid, an energy storage system must have a capacity of at least 100 kW. These systems are physically large and can cost millions of dollars for battery companies to develop and test. GSL wants to offer a more affordable option for rigorous, independent testing. 

“At GSL, we can test that new battery technologies will be able to perform under the desired grid operations,” said Vince Sprenkle, GSL’s director. “We want to provide space where companies can bring their mature systems to get critical information for operations, and so that utilities can be confident in their performance.”

Applications are open now for companies looking to team up with GSL to test their energy storage systems.

Find out more about how to apply here.

GSL has two testing facilities for batteries—one for systems up to 10 kW/40 kW-hours and one for systems up to 100 kW/400 kW-hours. PNNL has offered testing capabilities to companies for smaller batteries for several years and is now ready to begin testing larger systems. GSL experts can test batteries that use a variety of chemistries, such as lithium-ion, sodium-ion, iron, or lead-acid. 

“In an ideal situation, we’d work with a company as they produce their first larger cell/module below 10 kW/40 kWh range,” Sprenkle said. “Then they could take that data, build a more mature, larger-scale system, and bring it back to GSL for the next level of testing and validation.”

For large battery systems, GSL houses six separate testing bays. If all the bays fill up, “we’d have 2.4 megawatt-hours of batteries running, which is as large as some utilities,” he added.

In the testing bays, batteries are subjected to conditions they might encounter while operating in the real world, Sprenkle said. For example, batteries might be tested for their ability to provide frequency regulation, which helps keep the grid stable. 

“Batteries connected to the grid can be deployed quickly to provide stability in the event of a mechanical failure or sudden rise or drop in electricity demand,” Sprenkle said.

The grid uses alternating current, which means the electrical current travels in two directions at a specific frequency. For the U.S. grid, that frequency must remain at 60 hertz. Disruptions in that frequency can cause equipment failure and blackouts, so batteries could be vital to preventing a sudden loss of electricity. 

Battery systems can also help regulate the grid during times when electricity demand suddenly spikes or dips. For instance, data centers used by AI companies can cause a sudden spike and then drop in electricity demand. With their stored energy, batteries can be quickly engaged to accommodate those spikes and dips. 

The biggest difference between testing smaller, individual batteries and larger battery systems is the scale, Sprenkle said. Larger systems integrate more battery cells and can store more energy, so each one is outfitted with additional components to manage the entire system.

"There is simply no better resource to support innovation and R&D in battery storage than the Grid Storage Launchpad," said Battery Council International's President and Executive Director Roger Miksad. "As a proud supporter and long-term partner of our national labs, BCI has had the privilege to see the GSL's state-of-the-art facilities up close as one of the first research partners.  We have no doubt that the tests conducted there will lead to continued improvements in battery technology, and we look forward to learning about new innovations developed by the private sector in partnership with PNNL."

Funded by DOE’s Office of Electricity, GSL supports work on every stage of battery development—from discovering new materials to prototyping new batteries.