UNLIKE LITHIUM ION…

WEST modules experience negligible capacity loss over the storage system’s lifetime.

Lithium Ion storage systems degrade at a rate of 2-3% per year. WEST energy storage systems do not utilize a chemical conversion process into and out of an electrolyte and therefore do not experience comparable degradation during the lifespan of the product.

WEST modules can cycle multiple times per day as opposed to 0.7 cycles per day.

Most Lithium Ion warranties allow a lifetime throughput of less than one cycle per day. We allow up to 2 full cycles per day.

WEST modules are field-serviceable down to the individual component level – an industry first.

Every board and component in the modules, including the supercaps themselves, can be replaced or serviced in the field with a small bag of parts and tools, saving the time, expense, and hassle of shipping modules back to a service team. The modules have been designed for scale manufacturing and service accessibility to all parts. 

WEST customers can start small and add capacity 5 or 10 years into the future. 

Lithium Ion systems degrade rapidly over time. When adding capacity to such a system, it will perform at the lowest level achievable within the system’s components (the weakest chain in the link). WEST modules do not lose capacity and last a very long time, so adding capacity in 5 or 10 years  allows the system as a whole to continue to perform at a high level with the new capacity.

WEST modules can be charged and discharged faster, allowing for the use of less storage and more inverter.

If you charge four times faster and can cycle multiple times per day, you need less storage. With a bigger inverter, more power can be delivered without the need for more storage. Back-up generators also can be run at their maximum efficiency point at all times.  

WEST modules require no need for the battery BMS to take control of the inverter to protect the batteries.

WEST modules do not need to talk to the inverter, as they are capable of protecting themselves. If the inverter is setup incorrectly and asks too much of them, they will simply disconnect.

WEST modules have unlimited paralleling capability.

Since WEST modules have no external BMS, they can simply be connected in parallel without limit.

 WEST customers can use of 100% of the system’s capacity without voiding the warranty.

True 100% depth-of-discharge. Simply buy what you need and add to it later as your needs grow.

WEST modules can be emptied of energy without capacity degradation.

Units are not damaged by going to a zero charge state.

WEST modules have a wide operational temperature window. 

Cold or hot, almost no place on earth is too inhospitable for WEST energy storage systems without the need for parasitic loads to heat and cool them. Since they do not generate heat during charging and discharging, WEST modules also do not contribute to thermal issues within a system enclosure. 

WEST modules operate at >97% efficiency.

Modules store energy electrostatically as electrical energy, not electrochemically within an electrolyte. As a result, no heat generation occurs during charge/discharge, which is a major reason chemical batteries are less efficient. Since every cycle has a cost in terms of whatever energy is lost during the storage and discharge processes, it is important that this loss be as small as possible. WEST modules operate at extremely high levels of efficiency, making them especially useful for applications requiring frequent cycles.

WEST modules include IoT monitoring for each unit.

All data concerning the health and operational condition of each module is stored within the module and exported to the cloud for access by customers at all times.

WEST modules include soft-start and safe-connection checks.

Modules include protections that make them autonomous. Simply put, they are aware of their surroundings and will protect themselves as necessary. Supercaps are very powerful devices. If two modules try to connect to each other at different voltages, they can damage themselves or surrounding equipment. WEST modules constantly monitor their surroundings for over-volt, over-current, voltage-differential, and other potentially harmful conditions and act accordingly. WEST modules are also capable of moving toward a desired reference voltage before connecting, allowing for fast and easy setup and minimal maintenance.