In the wake of climate change and depletion of fossil fuel reserves, governments have initiated to re-evaluate global energy policy. Therefore, people around the world are experiencing a surge in demand for energy from renewable sources such as solar and wind power and the majority of countries face difficulties in the integration of an increasing share of energy coming from these intermittent sources. As a matter of fact, energy storage technologies are required to facilitate the move towards the supply of low carbon electricity and are particularly useful when exploiting intermittent energy sources. When it comes to energy storage systems, operational safety is of prime importance and characteristics such as energy and power density, which are major drivers in the development of devices for mobile applications, are of lesser concern. Other desirable characteristics for energy storage systems are a low installed cost, long operating life, and high energy efficiency. Also, different battery chemistries demonstrated for use include lead-acid, lithium-ion and sodium-based batteries. But in numerous recent incidents, lithium-ion cells and sodium–sulphur batteries have failed which has resulted in the release of toxic materials; this aspect has raised serious safety concerns over the application of these batteries to large-scale energy storage. Not only there are safety concerns with these chemistries, but also these technologies are associated with high costs due to the materials used, manufacturing processes and auxiliary systems required for their operation. In order to mitigate these issues associated with energy storage batteries, Nilar introduced a water-based, non-flammable electrolyte battery.

With over two decades of experience, Nilar has been producing safe and environmentally-conscious batteries for energy storage at commercial properties, private households, industrial plants and for use with the smart grid. With significant investment in design and innovation, the advanced Nilar batteries have evolved into the solution that is ideal for storing solar and wind power and charging electrical vehicles for long term use. The modular design supports scalability to handle the energy requirements of everything from small residential systems to large-scale electrical installations. The company is also revolutionising energy and power supply technology and is taking automated battery production to the next level. “We design, develop and manufacture products that offer unique safety benefits, environmentally consciousness and long-term power. We also have the optimal battery energy storage solution, whether it be for your home, business or infrastructure project,” states Marcus Wigren, CEO of Nilar.

In a bid to offer something extra, Nilar has come up with Nilar Hydride® batteries for energy storage solutions that are robust with non-flammable electrolyte and durable with a low lifetime cost. The battery modules of Nilar consist of ten battery cells. Each cell contains a positive electrode, a separator, a negative electrode. As the cells are stacked horizontally on top of one another with a metal bi-plate in between. This is what is called a bi-polar design. The cells are laid horizontally and stacked on top of one another to gain maximum space efficiency. The outer contact plates act as current collectors for all cells in the module, thus reducing the volumetric overhead and inherently resulting in a uniform current flow across the cell. After the module is assembled, it is filled with the electrolyte to enable the free flow of ions. Not to mention, the Nilar Energy battery and the Nilar Energy+ battery both retain the critical aspects that have become synonymous with Nilar: long term power, superior safety benefits, and environmental sustainability. Apart from this, Nilar Home Box brings all the advantages of Nilar Hydride® batteries in a new compact and elegant design.
For safe energy storage in houses, buildings, apartment blocks and large estates, Nilar Cabinet solutions is the best match as the cabinets are available in 11,52 – 34,56 kWh configurations and can be scaled to meet increasing energy storage requirements. For industrial applications, Nilar Rack solutions are accessible in 57,6 kWh and 69,12 kWh configurations, depending on the choice of Nilar Energy or Nilar Energy+ battery packs. Alongside, the racks can be scaled incrementally to meet peak-shaving and load shifting requirements. Among other things, the Nilar Hydride® design enables operations to run smoothly regardless if it’s -10°C or +40°C. The Nilar Energy and Energy+ products can also be connected to the electrical grid using either an Energy Management System (EMS) controlled Power Conversion System (PCS) or a Battery Management System (BMS) controlled PCS.

Being one of the leaders in the energy storage solutions industry, Nilar focuses on ensuring that every product getting dispatched from the factory meets the highest standards. The team of experts invests time in research and development as well as in manufacturing facilities. Moreover, the entire production process is performed at the state-of-the-art factory in Gävle, Sweden, powered by 100 per cent renewable energy. Similarly, the company has also embraced an extensive production process to deliver the best energy storage facility to its clients. The production process starts with electrode manufacturing, where the ingredients of electrodes are combined in exact concentrations to make the active material. Once the electrodes get combined, automated module assembly comes into play. Here, the electrodes are carefully weighed and paired together inside a casing with a separator in between. Then the battery cells are stacked on top of each other with conducting biplates in between and, finally, enclosed in a laser welded casing. Each module is laser welded together, making sure that the contents are completely contained from the environment. Also, by stacking multiple battery modules, the pack can be created with different voltages, where more modules mean a higher voltage. Later, the packs are compressed and bound together with steel bands and get tested in the facility before it gets to deliver.

The unique value proposition of the company gets well reflected through its circular economic philosophy. Nilar batteries are designed with recyclability in mind. From the nickel used to power them to the seals and casing used to the contact plates transferring the energy, the different elements that make up the battery can be reused in industrial manufacturing, such as the production of new Nilar batteries. The circular economic philosophy has been a central part of the research and development process for the Nilar Energy series and the Nilar Energy+ series, reducing cost and the environmental impact of the batteries.

For the future, the company will continue to innovate in terms of technology and aims to offer various other products with less environmental footprints.