The BEST Testing and Commercialization Center was inaugurated on April 30, 2014 in Rochester New York. The Center Is a collaboration of the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium (NY BEST) with DNV GL. The facility is focused on the testing of battery and other energy storage technologies and is located at the former Kodak Manufacturing campus. A ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by Lt. Governor Duffy and assorted officials.
Funding for the Facility came from NY state via the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and Empire State Development, as well as an investment of up to $16 million by DNV GL. As part of its investment, DNV GL is re-locating its existing energy storage testing capabilities from Pennsylvania to New York.
The growth of mobile and renewable technologies has increased the importance of energy storage as consumers seek to charge their smartphones less often while adding ever more features and using ever more apps while utilities and others seek ways to integrate distributed energy generation, such as rooftop solar panels, while smoothing out electricity generation and load consumption. Energy storage offers the promise of longer battery life for electronic devices and enabling the storage of electrical energy when the sun is not shining and the wind is not blowing in the case of such renewable energy generation. The BEST T & CC will promote the development and testing of new energy storage technologies in New York while promoting a clustering of energy storage industries in the state. Research and Development by such companies will result in new innovations and patents to protect such innovations. So far in 2014 alone at least 212 energy storage related US patents have been granted. The share of NY patents owners of such patents can only grow with the growth of the BEST center and its partners in the coming years.
