Research project receives 945,300 euros in funding

The companies FENECON Gmbh and STABL Energy Gmbh, along with the participating research institutions TU Munich and Kempten University of Applied Sciences, will receive funding of €945,300. Bavaria’s State Secretary for Economic Affairs Roland Weigert handed over the Bavarian Research Foundation’s decision to the project partners on March 21, 2023 at STABL Energy’s Munich premises.

Munich, 22.03.2023 – In the context of the energy transition on the way to a 100% renewable electricity supply, battery storage systems in particular will play a key role in the future alongside a massive expansion of photovoltaics and wind power as well as electricity grids. The project “AI-based Modular Battery Systems for Commercial and Grid Applications – KI-M-Bat” addresses the rapidly growing demand for storage solutions. The project is particularly characterised by the development of a battery storage system that can be operated flexibly with both new and used batteries. “For our companies in trade and industry, the energy transition brings many opportunities, but also new economic and technological challenges: The energy supply must be secure, planned and affordable. The KI-M-Bat project makes an outstanding contribution to overcoming these challenges and at the same time focuses on the future topic of battery recycling,” emphasised Bavaria’s State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Roland Weigert, on the occasion of the presentation of the funding decision by the Bavarian Research Foundation in Munich. Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. (NAS RA) Arndt Bode, President of the Bavarian Research Foundation, explained in the run-up to the award ceremony: “KI-M-Bat is an ideal example of the Research Foundation’s model, which aims to promote knowledge transfer through cooperation between industry and science. The consortium of a technology start-up, an innovative SME, a technical university and a university of applied sciences combines all the strengths of the Bavarian innovation system. It networks regional experts from Munich with those from Lower Bavaria and Swabia. This creates technological competitiveness and sustainable jobs throughout Bavaria.

Battery storage systems make sense for industry.

The number of storage systems installed is still lagging, particularly among medium-sized commercial and industrial customers. It is therefore all the more pleasing for the players that a sum of up to 945,300 euros has now been made available for the research project. “We are delighted about the approval and will develop a modular hardware and controller concept for relevant grid applications as part of our joint research project,” explains Fabian Eckl, Head of Technology at FENECON. In addition to grid stabilisation and the reduction of CO2, covering peak loads is also an argument for installing a battery storage system in the industrial sector. STABL Energy already has experience integrating used electric car batteries. It has developed a technology that gives discarded electric car batteries a second life: “More and more electric cars are rolling onto Germany’s roads. In just a few years, we expect to see a large number of old batteries that can be put to good use as second-life storage units, particularly in the commercial sector.”

Scientific and technical concepts as a basis for practical application

The Chair of Electrical Energy Storage Technology (EES) at the Technical University of Munich possesses in-depth knowledge in the field of battery characterisation and modelling, and specialises in the design, operation, and technical-economic modelling of battery systems. Prof. Dr. Holger Hesse headed the group on stationary battery storage systems there and has extensively researched the operation of stationary battery storage systems in energy industry applications, as documented in numerous research projects and publications. On September 1, 2022, Prof. Dr. Hesse was appointed to Kempten University of Applied Sciences (HS-K) to establish and head the “Smart Energy Systems” research professorship. “Our new research group aims to use stochastic optimisation and machine learning methods to optimise the control of energy systems with energy storage systems in terms of functionality, efficiency and flexibility,” says Hesse.

Throughout the project period, from 2023 to the end of 2025, other industry partners will also be added for networking and workshops. This means that the Bavarian cooperation project KI-M-Bat will have an impact beyond state borders in the future.

About the Bavarian Research Foundation

The Bavarian Research Foundation was founded in 1990. In addition to state research funding, it supports cooperation projects between research institutions (including universities and non-university institutions) and companies, which are crucial for the scientific and technological development of Bavaria and the Bavarian economy. Since its establishment, the Bavarian Research Foundation has approved around 627 million euros for 1030 projects. Together with the co-financing shares of the Bavarian economy, a total project volume of 1.379 billion euros has been initiated.

About STABL Energy

STABL Energy develops innovative, modular inverters for battery storage systems. Founded in Munich in 2019 as m-Bee by Dr. Arthur Singer, Dr. Nam Truong, Martin Sprehe, and Christoph Dietrich, STABL’s technology enhances the efficiency, reliability, safety, and affordability of commercial, industrial, and grid storage systems.

The new approach also enables the seamless, straightforward integration of discarded batteries from electric vehicles. This increases the service life of these batteries, reduces their resource consumption and has a positive impact on the environment.