US DOE kicks off first 100kW grid battery test for 10x capacity leap

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has launched its first utility-grade battery testing at the new Grid Storage Launchpad (GSL), marking a significant advancement by increasing testing capacity from under 10 kilowatts to 100 kilowatts. This tenfold increase enables researchers to validate grid-scale battery technologies with the complexity and scale required for modern electrical grids. The inaugural test focuses on a vanadium flow battery from Invinity Energy Systems, assessing its ability to provide frequency regulation—maintaining the grid’s 60 hertz alternating current to prevent equipment failure and blackouts—and peak shaving, which involves supplying power during high-demand periods. This initiative addresses previous limitations where smaller battery systems lacked the sophistication of utility-grade infrastructure. According to GSL director Vince Sprenkle, the facility now serves as the nation’s proving ground for grid-scale storage technologies, offering independent and accurate feedback to developers to prepare their products for real-world deployment. Invinity’s flow