Combined heat and power (CHP) and on-site renewables developer Digital Energy and Zinc8 Energy Solutions have agreed to install the latter’s 100-kW/1.5-MWh zinc-air energy storage system (ZESS) as a demonstration project at an apartment complex in Queens, New York.
The ZESS will support a CHP system currently under construction at Fresh Meadows Apartments, which also will play host to a solar power array.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, NYSERDA, is helping to financially support the demonstration.
NYSERDA chose Digital Energy Corp, and Zinc8 as the preferred energy storage system manufacturer to demonstrate the economics and reliability of Zinc8's patented zinc-air battery technology for low-cost long-duration storage in a behind-the-meter application.
Fresh Meadows Community Apartments is a master-planned 32-building housing development, which is owned by Cammeby Realty Corp. Some 4,000 rooftop solar panels were added to the apartment complex beginning in 2019.
"Digital Energy and Integrated Energy Concepts are excited about working with Zinc8 Energy on the deployment of the Zinc8 Energy Storage system at Fresh Meadows Apartments. Zinc8's energy storage system offers a safe, robust and economic solution and we welcome the opportunity to showcase their systems to our customer network," said William Cristofaro, President and CEO of Digital Energy Corp.
Under the Deployment Agreement with Digital Energy, Zinc8 and Digital will not only work together on the Fresh Meadows project but continue working to identify similar projects in the New York metro market.
About a decade ago Cammeby undertook a sub-metering energy efficiency project at many of its buildings which reportedly saved about eight million kWh per year in energy usage.