NREL's Energy Storage Project is leading the charge on battery thermal management, modeling, and systems solutions to enhance the performance of fuel cell, hybrid electric, and electric vehicles (FCVs, HEVs, and EVs) for a cleaner, more secure transportation future.
NREL's experts work closely with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), industry, and automotive manufacturers to improve energy storage devices, such as battery modules and ultracapacitors, by enhancing their thermal performance and life-cycle cost. Activities also involve modeling and simulation to evaluate technical targets and energy storage parameters, and investigating combinations of energy storage systems to increase vehicle efficiency.
Much of this research is conducted at our state-of-the-art energy storage laboratory, which houses a unique calorimeter that measures battery and ultracapacitor performance over a wide range of temperatures and sizes. We also have expert thermal analysis capabilities that make use of several computer-aided engineering tools. As part of DOE's Vehicle Technologies Program, we work closely with the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC).
NREL's energy storage research is funded by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. This project supports many NREL programs and is led by the Center for Transportation Technologies and Systems.
NREL works with a number of industry/government Energy Storage Programs that guide energy storage research and development. Some of these Programs create test manuals that establish standard test procedures for the energy storage industry.
NREL's Energy Storage research supports the U.S. Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Program.
