Juhl Wind Inc.计划建立一个1MW的锌空气储能系统，该系统位于Woodstock Hills 风电厂，靠近公司位于Woodstock, Minnesota 的总部。
Juhl Wind公司的总裁Dan Juhl表示，我们选择锌空气以及其核心技术作为我们的第一个储能系统，是因为我们相信这种储能系统是储能领域对环境最没有影响的安全技术。我们仔细研究过储能技术的进展，我们相信大规模储能将能使风能的价值完全释放出来。
Juhl Wind Inc. plans to install a 1 megawatt energy storage system developed by Zinc Air Inc. at its recently acquired Woodstock Hills wind farm located near the Company's headquarters in Woodstock, Minnesota.
Montana-based Zinc Air develops a Zinc Redox flow battery which they claim is one of the greenest battery technologies in the market. The system will allow the wind farm to store and shift wind power for flexible use by utility operators.
Generally, Zinc based redox batteries fill two tanks either with a solution of Zinc bromide or Zinc cerium called electrolytes that hold chemical energy. When energy is needed, the electrolytes are pumped in a compartment called an electrochemical cell to convert chemical energy into electricity picked up by the electrode. When the electrolyte has been discharged, it can be pumped back while a current is applied in order to recharge it.
Being non-hazardous and cheaper than traditional energy storage devices, Dan Juhl, chairman of Juhl Wind, deemed it as a good system fit for his company’s needs.
"We selected Zinc Air and its core technology for our first system because we believe it offers the combination of being the most advanced technology along with the most environmentally safe option in the field of energy storage," Mr. Juhl said. "We have carefully studied the growth in storage technologies because we believe large scale storage will unlock the full value of wind power.
Juhl Wind was the original developer of the 10.2-megawatt wind farm and has been in service since 1999. Juhl bought the 99.9 percent of the facility for $400,000 and the remaining .1 percent remains with the community last May. The farm is expected to continue generating revenues of about $1.2 million annually. Its 17 turbines produce electricity sold to utility Xcel Energy. – O. M. Bayani