The global race to develop sustainable energy solutions is in full swing as more countries have pushed decarbonization to the forefront of their national agendas. Amber Kinetics, a leading manufacturer of grid-scale kinetic energy storage systems, is a key frontrunner in the high-stakes race. The California based energy storage company is the pioneer behind a groundbreaking technology that addresses a complex problem that has impeded the growth of the renewable energy industry for years.
The problem is the inherent intermittent and variable nature of preferred renewable energy sources like solar and wind power. Solar power, for example, is generated during daylight hours when there is adequate sun exposure, but the demand for electricity extends well after the sun has set.
Even with an abundance of renewable energy, if peak renewable energy generation hours are mismatched with peak energy consumption hours, people cannot consume the energy when they need it the most. This obstacle hinders a successful transition from traditional sources of energy to renewable energy and subsequent scale-up of renewable energy from small-scale to utility-scale.
The solution seems deceptively simple- just employ a long-duration energy storage system. However, if energy providers use the prevailing energy storage solutions, they may compromise sustainability and subsequently counteract the original positive impact of transitioning to renewable energy. Amber Kinetics addresses this problem by using multi-hour flywheel energy storage, an energy storage technology that is simultaneously emission-free, long-duration, cost-effective, and implementable on a commercial scale.
Typically, flywheels are limited to short term energy storage because the duration of traditional flywheel reserves lasts only a few minutes. Using cutting-edge technology, Amber Kinetics has created the first-ever and only commercial-scale, multi-hour, kinetic energy storage solution available in the energy storage market. The Amber Kinetics flywheel energy storage system is distinguished from other flywheels by its remarkable ability to last for up to 4-hours. In addition to its efficiency, Amber Kinetics flywheels can store 32kWh of energy with no daily cycling limitations.
Most importantly, the outstanding performance of the Amber Kinetics flywheel is not at the cost of sustainability; it is quite the contrary. The Amber Kinetics flywheel is one of the most sustainable energy storage systems on offer. The flywheel is manufactured from 50% recycled steel. Unlike other energy storage providers which require sourcing and transportation of several non-recyclable, refined materials, the manufacturing process for flywheels is not carbon-intensive. Furthermore, the product is recyclable itself and emits zero hazardous waste over its lifetime. Amber Kinetics flywheel technology is highly scalable- when grouped together, individual flywheels can store up to hundreds of megawatts of energy. Furthermore, the flywheels’ low operations and maintenance cost make it an economical option. At this scale, long-duration flywheel energy storage is poised to be the next frontier in the energy storage market.
Amber Kinetics’ history dates back to 2008 when it was founded by Dr. Seth Sanders and Ed Chiao, two electrical engineers and energy conversion experts with a passion for sustainability and a deep understanding of the importance of the global transition to cleaner energy. Today, Amber Kinetics has over 13 years of experience designing and optimizing flywheel energy storage systems. With presence in the United States, Philippines, and Australia, the company is recognized as the industry leader in manufacturing utility-scale flywheel energy storage systems. Flywheel technology will enable our society to transform its hopes of a renewable future into a reality, with Amber Kinetics paving the way.
