International Smart Grid Investments Power Up

Across the world, countries are investing in smart grid technology as they strive to be good stewards of the environment and pass cost-savings to energy consumers.  At Palladium, we manufacture lithium-based battery packs for smart meters, and our company is beginning to plan for and develop medium and large format lithium-based batteries that can store renewable energy.  So, we’re always interested in sharing information on emerging smart grid projects.  Below are a couple of the latest and greatest feats in the renewable energy movement:

China

According to the New York Times, China is the world’s largest fossil fuel consumer, accounting for more than a fifth of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.  To counteract its demand for power, the nation is developing an extensive smart grid system that some experts predict will grow from $22.3 billion in value to an impressive $61.4 billion by 2015.

Recently, China constructed what could be the world’s largest battery-based energy storage station that will supply the smart grid with clean energy.  According to EarthTechling, the lithium-iron-phosphate system consists of 100 megawatts (MW) of wind power generation capacity, 40 MW of solar, 36 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery-based energy storage and a smart power transmission system.

United States

Thanks to government incentives, states and municipalities across America are realizing the benefits of the smart grid.  For example, Idaho Power just finished installing approximately a half million smart meters for rural residents.  Two months ago, the U.S. government announced that it is taking energy conservation a step further with its new Green Button initiative.  The program is bringing together utility providers, energy consumers and private industry to develop Internet and mobile applications (like Tendril Energize, pictured left), which will ultimately allow consumers to monitor and control their home energy usage from their smartphones.  Green Button puts cost savings potential at the fingertips of smart grid energy consumers.

To learn more about Palladium’s expertise in emerging green technology, check out this recent article in Electronic Products entitled “Lithium batteries: Powering future smart grids,” written by our own Tom Larsen.

-      Rebecca Kritzman, director of global marketing

2012: Let’s Get It Started

Each New Year brings new organizational goals for growth, customer satisfaction and product diversity.  With a talented team of employees, Palladium Energy is poised for another great year of success in the lithium battery pack industry.  Our leadership sat down to give you a sneak peek of what 2012 has in store for our company:

Lithium Batteries: Powering CES

The Palladium team has spent the past two days checking out the next-generation of consumer electronics at the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.  As always, we are eyeing market opportunities, trends and identifying what fast and lightweight devices on display at this year’s show will benefit from Palladium’s lithium battery pack innovations.  This is what we saw:

Overall Trends

CONNECTED DEVICES.  MOBILE APPLICATIONS.  SOCIAL ASPECTS.  This year, CES was buzzing about devices that all connect to the Internet – TVs, smartphones and other devices capable of streaming video over an Internet connection.  Many of these devices incorporate apps and social media components allowing users to access interactive content at the touch of a finger.  According to MagnaGlobal, in Q3 of 2011:

• Americans owned 105.7 million smartphones (up 47 percent over Q3 of 2010)
• 61.6 million game consoles (up 34 percent over Q3 of 2010)
• 20 million tablets (up 488 percent over Q3 of 2010)

Wow! Unified access to content on a myriad of devices (something Apple is working on via TV and iCloud services) is rumored to be in the works. Portability, size, weight and the need to be able to stream the Internet means that there is even MORE importance of reliability and lasting performance of battery power.

Ultrabooks

Last May, Intel introduced the concept of Ultrabooks to rival Apple’s MacBook Air.  These laptops feature slim designs and longer battery life to meet consumer demand, and according to Intel’s slogan, they are “Ultra Responsive. Ultra Sleek.”  At this year’s CES, Toshiba and Lenovo are just a couple manufacturers who have introduced additional Ultrabooks. Regardless of the manufacturer, Ultrabooks all require reliable, long-lasting battery life, which makes lithium-ion the preferred technology.  Li-ion battery technology is lighter and can be engineered to fit small devices; moreover, its slow loss of life enables Ultrabooks to meet consumer demand for device longevity.

Digital Health

At Palladium, we manufacture battery packs for both consumer electronic devices and medical devices, so we’re excited to see the two traditionally distinct vertical markets merging in the best interest of patient care.  CES is full of digital health gadgets galore like Fitbit’s Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale and the  Metria Sensor Patch, which combines sensors and software for short-term health monitoring.  Further, due to increasing hospital costs and the aging population, demand for mobile, home medical devices and monitoring systems are rising.  This is creating a class of easy-to-use, reliable consumer electronics such as glucose monitoring and blood pressure devices.  At home medical devices require long-lasting, reliable and safe battery power due to their high-stakes applications.

If you’re an OEM exhibitor or an attendee at this year’s CES and are interested in Palladium’s custom battery pack solutions, click here to request a proposal!  See you next year at CES 2013!

-          Rebecca Kritzman, director of marketing

A look back at 2011…

As we close another year at Palladium Energy, we wanted to reflect upon our successes in 2011. From forming a strategic alliance with Trojan Battery to winning awards to growing by double digits, we’ve had an exciting year! Check out our latest video, starring Palladium’s own team members. Happy Holidays!

Top 10 Reasons We’re Thankful for Lithium Technology

Ah, it’s that time of year when Palladium employees gather around the conference room table in our Naperville corporate headquarters and each say one reason why we’re thankful for lithium technology.  So, before we all depart for Thanksgiving dinner, we wanted to share our top 10 list with our valued blog readers:

#10 – “Lithium-based battery pack solutions are becoming more affordable—not to mention the technology of choice for many different types of devices.  I’m thankful for anything that helps deliver an excellent power solution to our customer—in a cost-effective manner!”    – Mike Kral, director of logistics and supply chain

 

#9 – “I’d like to offer thanks to lithium polymer cell technology because it allows us to design battery packs that don’t suffer from memory effect, which is needed for medical devices like smart infusion pumps that save lives.”  – Howard Granat, regional sales manager

 

#8 – “Lithium technology is safe and reliable (Palladium has shipped more than 500 million battery packs without a major recall) making it great for military devices like two-way radios used by soldiers in combat.  Thanks to our troops!”    – John Michie, director of HR

 

#7 – “I’m thankful for lithium technology because it’s considered ‘safe for disposal’ by the Environmental Protection Agency! Three cheers for being green!”  – Rebecca Kritzman, director of marketing

 

 

#6 – “This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for the lithium-based battery pack in my car’s GPS that will ensure I get to my in-laws safely and on-time this holiday. I’m never late to the in-laws, especially if meat AND pumpkin pie are involved.” – Tom Larsen, strategic market development manager

 

#5 – “I’m thankful for lithium-ion technology because we can engineer it to fit small, lightweight consumer devices like smartphones. And who isn’t thankful for their smartphone?” – Anson Martin, vice president of worldwide sales and marketing

 

#4 – “I’m thankful for lithium batteries because they provide OEMs and consumers long-term cost savings since they have high energy density and don’t have to be replaced as often as other formats.  I’m all about the bottom line.” – Anees Mohammad, chief financial officer

 

#3 – “I live in California and back the renewable energy movement out here, so I’m thankful that lithium technology is becoming one of the preferred technologies for storing the wind and sun in smart grids across the globe!” – Chad Walden, director of sales

 

#2 – “Not only is lithium technology reliable, but it can operate in a range of temperatures, meaning it can withstand a range of global climates. Now that’s something be thankful for.” – Dr. Like Xie, vice president of technology

 

#1 – “I’m CEO, so naturally I know the number one reason everyone should be thankful for lithium technology!  Lithium technology is perfect for everything from data capture devices to telematics to renewable energy to medical devices around the world. Lithium technology powers just about everything in our lives and helps delight our customers.” – Art Salyer, president and chief executive officer