US-based energy storage developer Peak Energy has announced the successful deployment and operation of its passively-cooled sodium-ion energy storage system at the Solar Technology Acceleration Center (SolarTAC) in Watkins, Colorado. This breakthrough system is designed to reduce lifetime project costs by more than $100 million for typical deployments and aims to deliver the fastest-to-market, lowest-cost energy capacity solution for utilities and independent power producers (IPPs) amid rising electric bills nationwide.
The proprietary sodium iron pyrophosphate (NFPP) battery chemistry used in Peak Energy’s 3.5 MWh system is inherently safe and thermally stable, eliminating the need for active cooling or fire suppression systems. This passively-cooled design reduces complexity, cuts maintenance requirements, and lowers operating costs compared to lithium-ion alternatives. Peak Energy claims its system achieves a 33% reduction in battery degradation over a 20-year lifespan and can save up to $75/kWh on a net present value basis across project lifetimes.
Operating in partnership with nine utility and IPP customers, the pilot marks the largest sodium-ion energy storage deployment in the US. Peak Energy will gather operational data from the pilot to optimise performance and inform future commercial projects, scheduled to start in 2027.
CEO and co-founder Landon Mossburg emphasised that the system addresses America’s dual energy challenges of affordability and availability by offering the lowest operating costs in the market. Peak Energy’s vertically integrated approach includes research, manufacturing, system integration, and grid interconnection, with ambitions to onshore battery cell production and expand capacity rapidly across the US, supporting the energy transition and grid resilience.
This deployment signals a major step forward in grid-scale energy storage technology by leveraging abundant, domestically sourced materials and innovative design to enable safer, more cost-effective, and reliable clean energy storage solutions.
