Green energy center opens in Broomfield, Colorado
A new center in Colorado is working to make green energy more affordable for everyone.
At their Broomfield location, Peak Energy researches and develops a new kind of battery that uses sodium ion instead of lithium, a resource they said is more accessible and safer.
"If you have to think about your battery there's a problem, and what's nice about sodium ion batteries is they're really, really safe. They don't need a lot of cooling and other systems around them," CEO Landon Mossburg said, "And they're cheaper."
Earlier this week Gov. Jared Polis announced Peak Energy's expansion to Broomfield.
Broomfield Mayor Guyleen Castriotta said she's excited to have the new lab in the city.
"Broomfield is trying to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, reduce waste from going to the landfill. So all of these activities help us reach our sustainability goals," Castriotta said.
The new facility will also bring more jobs to the area.
"It's going to create 20 new jobs in Broomfield. It's close to universities and sectors that are doing this work, and as the Front Range grows, we all need to grow greener," Castriotta added.
Mossburg charged his staff with developing sodium ion batteries on a larger scale, but that comes with a challenge. The final product's size and weight.
"The product is a giant 29 feet long, (it) kind of looks like a shipping container of batteries, 100,000 pounds, enough to power a lot of homes," Mossburg said.
Senior Cell Engineer at Peak Energy Sean Culver explained they create the batteries using an "electrode slurry." The slurry is then spread in layers along foil current collectors and dried.
"This would contain active components (and a) binder to make that slurry that, when you coat it out, would make that layer of a battery."
Peak Energy hopes to source more of this technology from Colorado and other parts of the U.S.
"We're really excited about the technology. We think it's going to be one of the front runners in a few years so we want to catch up," Mossburg said.
Peak Energy plans to begin working with customers next year. The company intends to use solar and wind farms to charge the sodium ion batteries using renewable energy. They hope the batteries will become a better option to power grids, and one day, even cars.
