LA & CHINA TO STORE WIND IN BATTERIES

Villaraigosa signs deals with green firms in S.F. Valley and China
Rick Orlov, September 13, 2010 (LA Daily Breeze)

"In what officials are calling a major milestone in Los Angeles' effort to develop more green-power sources, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa…signed agreements with firms in the San Fernando Valley and China.

"The city-owned Department of Water and Power will work with Quallion LLC of Sylmar, and BYD Inc., based in Shenzhen, on a project to be located at Pine Tree Wind Farm in the Tehachapi Mountains. The companies plan to invent batteries that will be able to store energy generated by wind or solar power, then release electricity to the DWP power grid at night or during periods of high demand… The companies plan to share technology and information, with the goal of being able to develop a five- to 10-megawatt energy-storage system by year's end."

Other wind storage batteries use sodium sulfur technology. (click to enlarge)

"BYD is a major manufacturer of batteries for cell phones and of solar panels, which it plans to array at Pine Tree…Quallion, which was formed in 1998 by entrepreneur Alfred Mann, is already the world leader in lithium ion batteries used in medical, aerospace and military applications…[and is planning] an $85 million expansion at its Sylmar facility with a 50,000-square-foot-addition to its factory.

"The agreement with Quallion, which has 150 employees and hopes to add 200 more, followed a formal signing ceremony with BYD and officials from the Szenchen Province, including Party Secretary Wang Rong."

When it comes to batteries, lithium ion is state-of-the-art. (click to enlarge)

"Rong said Chinese officials see Los Angeles as a strong partner for future investments as the communist country works to establish business partnerships with the West…Villaraigosa also spoke about the budding relationship between L.A. and China, pointing to recent contracts with BYD, Precision Products Manufacturing and Yantian Port Group…

"Los Angeles previously had awarded $2 million in federal grants and $2.4 million in loan guarantees to BYD, which plans to locate its U.S. headquarters [there]…BYD also is a major manufacturer of automobiles and has said it plans to build an assembly plant in Southern California by 2012."