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Vermont Passes Primary Battery Recycling Legislation; Other States to Consider Similar Legislation in 2015

Josh Johnson August 4, 2014

George Kerchner, Executive Director, PRBA – The Rechargeable Battery Association

In late May, Vermont became the first US state to enact a primary battery recycling bill requiring the development of a program for collecting and recycling primary batteries. The statute puts that burden on battery and some battery-powered manufacturers who place batteries on the market in the Green Mountain State. Read more about Vermont Passes Primary Battery Recycling Legislation; Other States to Consider Similar Legislation in 2015 …

Required or Recommended: Understanding Battery Maintenance Standards for Critical System Protection

Josh Johnson May 17, 2014

Wally Vahlstrom, Director Technical Services
Emerson Network Power, Electrical Reliability Services

Batteries are critical components in any uninterruptible power supply (UPS). Whether we consider an industrial facility, a data center, or the critical power supply to relays and control components of utility systems, the performance of batteries is instrumental to ensuring system availability. Without proper attention and care for batteries, critical infrastructure is put at risk as battery failure is the number one cause of UPS problems. To protect against battery failure and expensive downtime, preventive battery maintenance is key. Read more about Required or Recommended: Understanding Battery Maintenance Standards for Critical System Protection …

Wireless Power: Getting Down to Business

Josh Johnson April 11, 2014

Upal Sengupta, Staff Applications Engineer
Texas Instruments

About a year ago, I wrote a post about resonance and how it relates to the wireless power systems we’ve been developing at TI to enable convenient charging of mobile devices. Since that time, the industry has made a lot of progress in bringing wireless power solutions to the next level. While many people may still consider wireless power an “exotic” or niche technology, there are already tens of millions of portable devices with wireless charging capability in the hands of end users. Read more about Wireless Power: Getting Down to Business …

Next-Generation Batteries: Problems and Solutions

Josh Johnson April 10, 2014

Sam Jaffe
Navigant Research

It’s clear that today we live in a lithium ion world. That’s the chemistry that powers our phones, our computers, our power tools, our electric vehicles, and our grid energy storage systems. The only thing that it doesn’t do, yet, is start our cars (that’s still the domain of much cheaper lead-acid batteries). Navigant Research expects that the age of lithium ion (Li-ion) will continue for at least the next 10 years. Read more about Next-Generation Batteries: Problems and Solutions …

Understanding Battery Lifespan to Avoid Data Center Downtime

Josh Johnson April 8, 2014

Gregory Ratcliff, Director of Life Cycle Management Services
Emerson Network Power, Liebert Services

When striving to achieve consistent and efficient operation, the UPS system is critical to data center emergency power systems. While tests and assessments are often completed to safeguard these systems, a UPS is only as reliable as the batteries that support it. In fact, recent Emerson Network Power research on critical infrastructure shows that nearly 37 percent of down units are due to battery failure. Read more about Understanding Battery Lifespan to Avoid Data Center Downtime …

PRBA to Pursue Changes to Secondary Cell Export Controls Under Wassenaar Arrangement

Josh Johnson April 8, 2014

George Kerchner, Executive Director
PRBA – The Rechargeable Battery Association

As the energy density of lithium ion cells continues to improve, PRBA – The Rechargeable Battery Association has become increasingly concerned that the export restrictions on “secondary cells” under an international treaty known as the Wassenaar Arrangement could impede technological development. Therefore, PRBA has started to explore the possibility of eliminating these export controls on secondary cells. Read more about PRBA to Pursue Changes to Secondary Cell Export Controls Under Wassenaar Arrangement …

ICAO DGP to Address International Rules for Lithium Metal Batteries Shipped by Air

Josh Johnson March 11, 2014

George Kerchner, Executive Director
PRBA – The Rechargeable Battery Association

At its April meeting in Montreal, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Dangerous Goods Panel (DGP) will consider major changes in the international air transportation regulations on lithium metal batteries. PRBA represents the rechargeable battery industry as an official Observer with the ICAO DGP as well as the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods. Read more about ICAO DGP to Address International Rules for Lithium Metal Batteries Shipped by Air …