ARPA-E: The First Seven Years - A Sampling of Project Outcomes
Since 2009, ARPA-E has funded over 500 potentially transformational energy technology projects. Many of these projects have already demonstrated early indicators of technical and commercial success. ARPA-E has begun the process of analyzing and cataloging some of the agency’s most successful projects. This document is a compilation of the first volume of these impactful technologies. Click below to go directly to individual projects within the compilation.
Grid-Scale Batteries
Fluidic (GRIDS) – Enhanced Metal-Air Energy Storage System with Advanced Grid-Interoperable Power Electronics Enabling Scalability and Ultra-Low Cost
CUNY (GRIDS) – Low-Cost Grid-Scale Electrical Storage Using a Flow-Assisted Rechargeable Zinc-Manganese Dioxide Battery
Harvard Flow Battery (OPEN 2012) – Small Organic Molecule Based Flow Battery+
24M (BEEST) – Semi-Solid Rechargeable Power Sources: Flexible, High Performance Storage at Ultralow Cost
Energy Storage Systems (ESS) (GRIDS SBIR) – 25kW 200kWh Energy Storage System based on All-iron Hybrid Flow Battery
Primus (GRIDS) – Low-Cost, High Performance Flow Cells
UTRC (GRIDS) – Transformative Electromechanical Flow Storage System
Alveo (OPEN 2012) - Open Framework Electrode Batteries for Cost-Effective Stationary Storage
Transportation
Ford (AMPED) – High Precision Life Testing of Automotive Batteries and Grid Storage Batteries
PARC (AMPED) – Smart Embedded Network of Sensors with Optical Readout
Sila (SBIR) – Doubling the Energy Density Anodes of Lithium-ion Batteries for Transportation
FastCap (OPEN 2009) – Open Low-Cost, High Energy and Power Density, Nanotube-Enhanced Ultracapacitors
REL (MOVE) – Fully and Intricately Conformable, Single-Piece, Mass-Manufacturable High-Pressure Gas Storage Tanks
Onboard Dynamics (MOVE) – Vehicle-integrated Natural Gas Compressor
Plant Sensory Systems (OPEN 2012) – Development of High-Output, Low-Input Energy Beets
University of Florida (PETRO) – Producing Terpene Biofuels in Pine Trees
Grid Operations
Smart Wires (GENI) – Distributed Power Flow Control Using Smart Wires for Energy Routing
Varentec (GENI) – Compact Dynamic Phase Angle Regulators for Transmission Power Routing
Boston University (GENI) – Transmission Topology Control for Infrastructure Resilience to the Integration of Renewable Generation
Autogrid (GENI) – Highly Dispatchable and Distributed Demand Response for the Integration of Distributed Generation
Power Electronics
APEI (ADEPT) – Low-Cost, Highly-Integrated Silicon Carbide (SiC) Multichip Power Modules (MCPMs) for Efficient Electric Vehicle Chargers
Transphorm (ADEPT) – High Performance GaN HEMT Modules for Agile Power Electronics
Cambridge Electronics/MIT (ADEPT) – Advanced Technologies for Integrated Power Electronics
Solarbridge Technologies (Solar ADEPT) – Scalable Submodule Power Conversion Methods for Power Density, Efficiency, Performance, and Protection Leaps in Utility-scale Photovoltaics
Monolith Semiconductors (SWITCHES) – Advanced Manufacturing and Performance Enhancements for Reduced-cost Silicon Carbide MOSFETs
Soraa (OPEN 2009) – Ammonothermal Bulk GaN Crystal Growth
Energy Efficiency and Clean Power – Direct and Enabling Technologies
Makani (OPEN 2009) – Airborne Wind Turbine
1366 (OPEN 2009) – Direct Wafer: Enabling Terawatt Photovoltaics
Foro (OPEN 2009) – Low-contact Drilling Technology to Enable Economical EGS Wells
Brookhaven/AMSC & University of Houston/SuperPower (REACT) – Superconducting Wires for Direct-Drive Wind Generators
Stanford Radiative Cooling (OPEN 2012) – Photonic Structures for High-Efficiency Daytime Radiative Cooling
Harvard SLIPS (OPEN 2012) – Novel Slippery Coatings for Extreme Energy-savings
UHV Technologies (METALS) – Low-Cost High-Throughput In-Line XRF Scrap Metal Sorter
Phononic Devices (OPEN 2009) – Advanced Semiconductor Materials for High Efficiency Thermoelectric Devices
Infinia Technology Corporation (ITC) (BEETIT) – An Advanced Cooler with Benign Refrigerants