AllCell Technologies and Windfree announced the completion of the Chicago area's first lithium-ion energy storage system connected to a solar powered electric vehicle (EV) charging station.

The state-of-the-art battery system helps buffer the electrical grid from the uneven power demands of EV charging while providing enough capacity to charge two vehicles in case of a power outage. Equipped with AllCell's proprietary thermal management technology, the battery is continuously protected from overheating to ensure safety and prolonged battery life.

Development of the Evanston, IL based project was managed by Windfree, and includes a 10 kilowatt solar canopy, 40 kilowatt-hour battery system, and two Level II charging stations.

One of the charging stations is used exclusively by car sharing firm I-GO, while the other is available to the public. Alternative Transportation for Chicagoland owns the installation, and other project partners included architects Farr Associates and Continental Electric Construction Company.

"As more and more electric vehicles are sold each year, the strains on the electrical grid will continue to increase," said AllCell CEO Said Al-Hallaj.

"The combination of on-site generation and on-site storage co-located with EV charging stations will be a critical part of ensuring that continued growth in the EV market doesn't disrupt the normal operation of the electrical grid."

According to WindFree President Doug Snower, "The combination of advanced battery technology incorporated with our solar canopy EV charging stations make this a dream project for Windfree. We look forward to sharing open source data through a web base monitoring portal that will demonstrate utility infrastructure benefits and energy savings."