UL Selects Battery Innovation Center (BIC) To Offer Engineering Expertise & Advanced Test Capabilities

NORTHBROOK, Ill., Nov. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- UL (Underwriters Laboratories), a global safety science organization, announces the selection of a battery & energy storage lab near Crane, Indiana – the Battery Innovation Center (BIC) - to serve as UL's North American testing and validation center. The BIC, known as the UL Crane lab location, is the newly formed UL Battery & Energy Storage Technology (BEST) Test Center - offering the advantage of UL expertise combined with the BIC facility's innovative test capabilities to advance the future of energy and the electrical grid.

The synergies between the mission statements and goals of UL and BIC make this an ideal collaboration that will benefit the battery and energy storage industry through the combined UL engineering expertise and advanced test capabilities. UL's mission is to work for a safer world and for more than 120 years has been pioneering progress in safety science with the aim of providing comprehensive services to certify, validate, test, inspect, audit, advise and educate. BIC's mission is to foster innovation in the field of energy storage technology by supporting the entire spectrum of activity from R&D to commercialization, in order to give the industry a one-stop shop for battery and energy storage testing and certification. 

The UL BEST Test Center offers manufacturers and integrators a comprehensive testing and certification resource for large batteries and energy storage systems – with the capacity to fully service batteries up to 1MW, 1,500 Volts and up to 200 Ah cells through their unique 6.4MW net metering agreement. The facility also provides access to a full suite of mechanical and environmental testing capabilities.

Testing and certification capabilities for most performance, reliability and safety standards relevant for the technology will be available. This includes UL standards as well as SAE, IEC, MIL-Spec and other international standards. The UL Crane lab location also has abilities for various chemistries including lithium, lead acid, sodium sulfur, and vanadium redox (flow) batteries.

"The combination of UL engineering expertise and technician know-how combined with the state-of-the-art facility at the UL Crane lab location is a powerful asset to any manufacturer or utility," states Lisa Salley, vice president & general manager for Energy & Power Technologies at UL. "UL's goal to accelerate the adoption of innovative energy technology through client collaboration, independent safety review, and product testing is furthered with this alliance."

Located in southwest central Indiana, BIC operates a 36,000 sq. ft. facility of which 25,000 sq. ft. is dedicated to battery cell and pack testing. BIC provides contract testing and development services for battery manufacturers, electric vehicle developers and public utilities. BIC has just been named the first MESA interoperability testing center in the world. 

"Validating energy storage technologies to be safe and reliable assets is at the heart of what we do at the BIC," said David Roberts, president of the BIC. "UL standards provide a 'seal of approval' in the industry that is unmatched and indisputable. Our customers will truly benefit from being able to leverage this new lab as part of the BIC's offerings, and we expect it will attract new customers who place a high value on safety."

UL's BEST Test Center capabilities include full spectrum DC performance testing and evaluation services with the ability to cycle individual cells up to full battery systems of 750kW+ in a controlled test environment.

UL's BEST Test Center offers the following cells and battery system test capabilities:

• Various combinations of temperature, altitude, humidity, charging/discharging, overcharging, shorting, and other abuse tests
• Tests can be performed to an industry standard or to unique protocols provided by the customer
• Tests on the inverters and battery storage systems for micro-grids
• 300kW grid simulator is in place to perform tests per UL 1741 and IEEE 1547 for grid tied inverters

UL's BEST Test Center offers the following grid-related testing capabilities:

• 180kVA grid simulator for software, smart grid products and energy storage system AC testing
• Onsite solar and wind renewables connected to a 440kW micro-grid (expandable to 880 kW) for energy storage system tests using real-world renewable loads
• Bi-directional electric vehicle charging stations for V2G testing
• Net metering agreement to push or pull 6.4MW anytime
• MISO node that enables validation for energy storage systems in real-world wholesale grid services and energy markets

BIC offers the following cells and battery prototyping capabilities:

• Commercial quality cell manufacturing equipment for multiple cell formats (coin, cylindrical, and pouch)
• 1% Humidity Dry Rooms, 10,000 Class Clean Rooms
• Pack design and assembly equipment

For more information on UL's services for battery & energy storage systems, please visit www.ul.com/batteries or call 1.877.ULHELPS (1.877.854.3577).  For more information on BIC cell & battery prototyping, please visit www.bicindiana.com or call 1.812.863.2424.

About UL

UL is a premier global independent safety science company that has championed progress for more than 120 years. Its nearly 11,000 professionals are guided by the UL mission to promote safe working and living environments for all people. UL uses research and standards to continually advance and meet ever-evolving safety needs. We partner with businesses, manufacturers, trade associations and international regulatory authorities to bring solutions to a more complex global supply chain. For more information about our certification, testing, inspection, advisory and education services, visit www.ul.com.

About Battery Innovation Center (BIC)

The Battery Innovation Center (BIC) is a unique public-private partnership and not-for-profit organization that incorporates leadership from world-class universities, commercial enterprises, and government organizations to focus on the rapid development, testing and commercialization of safe, reliable and lighter weight energy storage systems for commercial and defense organizations. Located adjacent to Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane, the BIC provides both a virtual collaborative network of capabilities needed for development of next generation energy storage solutions as well as a new, state-of-the-art $15.6 million energy research lab. For more information, visit www.bicindiana.com.

CONTACT: Dagmar Ebaugh
Global Public Relations & Social Media Manager
UL Commercial & Industrial
O: (678) 872.0320 C: (404) 216.4354, [email protected]

CONTACT: Melissa Roberts
Manager, Communication & Development
Battery Innovation Center and Energy Systems Network
O: (317) 532.4808 C: (317) 501.4136, [email protected]

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SOURCE UL

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