Technical FAQs

With extreme weather events, wildfires and other threats to energy security becoming more frequent, SimpliPhi storage can provide peace of mind. With our modular and scalable design, SimpliPhi battery banks can be designed to power your entire home or just the appliances and communication devices you consider critical in the event of a power outage. When the grid is unavailable, you can still have all the power you need.

All over the world, generators are used as back up power for homes. But the truth is, during catastrophic events, propane or diesel is often in short supply and expensive. Combining PHI batteries with your generator can create fuel savings and extend your available reserves, as well as cut down on environmental and noise pollution. SimpliPhi's turn-key residential solutions such as the AccESS and PowerBank have a built-in automatic generator start (AGS) to optimize your generator's performance with grid and/or PHI battery power.

If your home PV system is connected to the grid, you will lose access to all your electrical generation during a power outage. Adding SimpliPhi storage to your solar array stores excess power for you to access during an emergency. Storing excess solar power can also provide a greater return on your renewable energy investment, particularly in regions where utilities have unfavorable rate structures, such as demand and time of use charges. PHI batteries also allow you to draw from your storage for power at night and during times of inclement weather. Combining solar plus storage allows you to generate and consume your own power on demand, rather than relying solely on the utility.

In many locations, utilities have:
Reduced the rates they pay for solar power that is exported to the grid;
Applied demand charges based on a home’s peak energy use during a given month; or
Assigned time-of-use rates that adjust the cost of electricity throughout the day.
Homeowners who are on a time-of use-rate or an electric vehicle rate, can charge PHI batteries when energy is cheaper (for example at night) and discharge energy when energy is more expensive. By enabling homeowners to shift their use of grid electricity to less expensive times, SimpliPhi storage can significantly reduce utility bills.

With a proven global track record of successful grid-tied and off-grid projects since 2010, we have the expertise and experience to design reliable backup and emergency power systems that protect your operations when power is intermittent or completely unavailable.

SimpliPHI energy storage systems offset utility rates by reducing power usage during peak hours and shifting usage from peak to non-peak hours. As a result, businesses are able to avoid spikes in energy use and high demand charges that can account for more than 50% of every electric bill and save hundreds of thousands per year.

Demand charges are calculated based on the highest 15-minute average electrical use recorded in one month. Demand charges make up a significant percentage of all commercial and industrial utility bills -- typically between 30 and 70 percent. Demand charges continue to increase, while overall energy prices are decreasing. Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions can help protect your business from incurring these demand charges.

Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions have products that are energy dense with a very small footprint. Plus, because our non-toxic, safe LFP chemistry does not pose a risk of fire, it is not necessary to install the space-intensive cooling, thermal monitoring or ventilation equipment required by many other lithium-ion storage solutions. In fact, our batteries can be installed in spaces as small as a cabinet or utility closet.

Depending on your power needs, our modular energy storage solutions can scale to meet any demand, and grow over time as your power requirements increase. Adding more batteries to an existing installation is simple and cost-effective.

Absolutely not. In fact, because our batteries do not contain cobalt, our LFP lithium ion chemistry does not pose the risk of thermal runaway or fire, and is non-toxic and environmentally benign.

Commercial customers in California who endured the 2017 wildfire season are some of SimpliPhi’s greatest advocates -- grateful that their PHI batteries did not add to the catastrophic impact of wildfires, nor serve as the cause of any fire.

School districts can achieve significant cost savings when they install energy storage to offset peak usage. This “peak shaving” capitalizes on schools’ predictable electrical load profile, where usage peaks during mid-day and drops when students and faculty head home. With energy storage, batteries can charge during off-peak hours and discharge to offset energy use during these peak times. As a result, schools are able to avoid spikes in energy use and high demand charges that can account for more than 50% of their electric bill and save them hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. We’re thrilled to help our education partners pay less for electricity and preserve more financial resources for their education budget.

Whether a school district is seeking to upgrade heating and cooling systems or make comprehensive energy efficiency improvements, the price tag can be daunting. Did you know that in many cases, installing a solar+storage microgrid to power new equipment can prove far less costly than funding comprehensive infrastructure upgrades normally required to power such new equipment? For example, in 2016, in response to a $1.6 billion campus statewide air conditioning installation budget shortfall, the Hawaii Department of Education found a game-changing solution in microgrids. The capital cost of implementing roof-top PV+SimpliPhi storage microgrids together with split system A/C units to cool classrooms proved to be substantially lower than traditional grid-tied central air conditioning systems. This approach reduced the budget to $140 million. Plus, having on-site energy storage and flexibility in programming the power electronics allowed schools to keep their current energy costs and energy access stable while maintaining grid-connection for backup power.

Not all lithium ion batteries are the same. In fact, there are a variety of different lithium ion chemistries. Many lithium ion batteries contain cobalt. Cobalt is the element responsible for thermal runaway, fires and overheating that have been reported in homes, businesses, on airplanes, laptops, cellphones and hover boards and even in utility-scale installations. Cobalt is toxic, unstable and hazardous. SimpliPhi does not use cobalt. Our lithium ion chemistry is lithium ferrous phosphate (LFP). LFP is environmentally benign, does not pose a danger of thermal runaway and is non-toxic.

We bet you do! Our batteries have a very small footprint, and because they require no ventilation or ancillary cooling or monitoring equipment, they can be installed in very tight, closed spaces. In addition, because the batteries can operate safely in temperatures from -4° to 140°F, SimpliPHI batteries can be installed indoors or outdoors, depending on the ideal location in each building or campus.

Our lithium-ion batteries are safe for a hospital environment. Not all lithium-ion batteries are the same. In fact, there are a variety of different lithium-ion chemistries, many of which utilize cobalt, which makes them unstable, toxic, and unsuitable for medical environments. SimpliPhi storage solutions use lithium ferrous phosphate (LFP) to create batteries that are environmentally benign, non-toxic and do not pose any risk. Without the danger of fire or toxicity, our batteries are the ideal choice for hospitals.

Space is often at a premium in medical facilities. Our batteries have a very small footprint. This energy density, scalability and the fact that our batteries do not require ventilation, ancillary cooling or thermal monitoring equipment translates into higher efficiencies and smaller installations -- even in closets or utility rooms. In addition, because the batteries can operate safely in temperatures from -4° to 140°F, SimpliPhi storage can be installed indoors or outdoors.

Hospitals often use more energy than virtually any other type of commercial facility. Open 24-hours-a-day to thousands of employees, patients, and visitors, with sophisticated heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems and a wide range of energy intensive activities such as laundry, medical and lab equipment, sterilization, computers, food service, and refrigeration, hospital electricity costs represent a significant drain on financial resources and diverting dollars from critical care. Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions can help offset the costs of all that power and restore much needed funds to the operating budget. With PHI batteries, medical facilities can charge during off-peak hours and discharge to support electrical loads during peak rate periods. As a result, medical facilities are able to avoid spikes in utility rates as a result of high demand charges.

A growing number of hotels and resort properties are generating some or all of their electricity on-site with solar PV or other renewable energy installations. Our energy storage solutions enable hotels and resorts to take renewable energy one step further by storing excess energy for use at night or during prolonged inclement weather. We also eliminates the unpredictability and intermittency often associated with renewable energy supply. Plus, in grid-tied locations, pairing behind-the-meter energy storage with renewable generation can double energy savings.

With Briggs & Straton energy storage, hotels can charge PHI batteries when the cost of energy least expensive and access that reserve to offset costs when electricity demand and rates spike, such as guests turning on their air conditioners on a hot day or when they return to their room in the evening. By limiting a hotel’s need to rely on grid power when it’s likely most expensive and reducing short-term usage spikes, we're able to help hotels reduce their exposure to significant peak demand charges, which can account for as much as 50 percent of their utility bill.

For resorts in remote vacation spots, our expertise in solar+storage microgrids ensures that your hospitality business will have ample electricity 24x7 electricity to deliver a world-class guest experience with little or no diesel generation. Because our batteries are non-toxic, they empower resort properties to sustainably reduce energy costs and mitigate any negative environmental impacts to areas surrounding lodging facilities.

When comparing lithium-ion storage alternatives, the element to avoid is cobalt. Our cobalt-free lithium ferrous phosphate (LFP) chemistry is environmentally benign, non-toxic and does not pose a danger of thermal runaway. Without the threat of fire danger or toxicity, SimpliPhi batteries are safe for hotel guests and your property.

Restaurants incur significant peak demand charges due to predictable and intense periods of energy use during the breakfast, lunch and dinner hours. This usage pattern and its predictability creates a robust opportunity to leverage energy storage to offset that peak demand, which often accounts for as much as 50% of a restaurant's utility bill. With Briggs & Stratton energy storage and management solutions, restaurants can store energy when it’s least expensive and access that reserve during peak times of use, reducing demand charges.

When purchasing energy storage, foodservice operations need a solution that does not pose a danger of food contamination, fire or other risks to their property or their patrons. Because SimpliPhi batteries do not contain hazardous cobalt, they are the perfect choice for restaurant environments. Our lithium ferrous phosphate (LFP) lithium ion chemistry is environmentally benign, non-toxic and does not pose a danger of thermal runaway.

SimpliPHI Batteries have a very small footprint. Their energy density combined with the fact that they do not require ventilation, ancillary cooling or thermal monitoring means PHI batteries can be installed in tight spaces, such as closets or utility rooms. In addition, because PHI batteries can operate safely in temperatures from -4° to 140°F, they can be installed indoors or outdoors. This versatility allows you to choose to install container-type storage or in existing barns, warehouses or other buildings.

Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions is able to store electricity from solar and wind turbines (DC input), conventional generators, or the grid. Given that renewable sources of power can be intermittent and unpredictable without energy storage, adding SimpliPhi batteries to your renewable generation plant will allow you to have true power security and resilience. In addition, in grid-tied locations, an integrated solar PV or wind turbine combined with an energy storage system can maximize your utility bill savings -– both reducing energy and demand charges.

With Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions, agricultural operations can either capture energy created through renewable generation and store it, or store energy from the grid during off peak hours when prices are low and discharging it during peak rate times. By limiting your need to rely on grid power and reducing short-term usage spikes, SimpliPhi is able to help agricultural customers reduce their exposure to significant peak demand charges, which can account for as much as 50 percent of a utility bill.

When it comes to lithium-ion batteries, cobalt is an element that is toxic and poses the risk of thermal runaway and fire. We do not use cobalt. Our lithium-ion chemistry is lithium ferrous phosphate (LFP) which is environmentally benign and non-toxic. Without any danger of overheating or toxicity, SimpliPhi batteries do not pose a risk of fire or contamination of crops, animals or processed food products.

Many of our customers have previously deployed diesel generators as a way to extend access to power beyond the grid, and have turned to energy storage to significantly reduce fossil fuel usage the cost of transporting fuel. Typically, replacement systems are designed to run on solar + storage with a diesel generator for backup during inclement weather. With a SimpliPhi microgrid system, generators are downsized and used only as backup power to charge the batteries when needed, lowering costs and reducing noise and pollution.

SimpliPhi’s ruggedized batteries are able to withstand a wide temperature range -- from -4° to 140°F -- without any risk of thermal runaway, failure or fire. In fact, our batteries have been proven in desert combat zones on forward operating bases by the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.

Yes. Renewable sources of power can be intermittent and unpredictable. Adding SimpliPhi batteries to your existing renewable installation removes the risk of intermittency and allows airports to have true power security. SimpliPhi energy storage solutions can store electricity from solar and wind chargers (DC input), conventional generators, or the grid. In addition, in grid-tied locations, an integrated solar PV or wind turbine + SimpliPhi storage can reduce both energy charges and demand charges and maximize your utility bill savings.

SimpliPhi’s lithium ion chemistry is safe because it does not contain cobalt. Cobalt is the element that causes phones, laptops and other battery-powered devices to heat up and catch fire. SimpliPhi’s cobalt-free lithium ferrous phosphate (LFP) lithium ion chemistry is environmentally benign, non-toxic and does not pose a danger of thermal runaway and is non-toxic. In fact, because of the safety record SimpliPhi achieved through years of deployments with U.S. military the FAA granted the company "Special Permission" to transport PHI batteries globally via air.

SimpliPhi’s storage solutions are modular and scalable and can be sized to provide critical power for base loads, peak loads and days or weeks of energy autonomy.

For large airports, daily electricity usage is equivalent to that of a city of 100,000 people -- comprising as much as 10% to 15% of a airport’s operating budget. SimpliPhi energy storage can help offset those electricity costs by allowing airports to charge batteries during off-peak hours and to discharge batteries during peak times to offset energy costs. As a result, airports are able to avoid spikes in energy use and high demand charges and subsequently pay less for energy.

By installing a solar+SimpliPhi storage microgrid, airports can avoid the cost and disruption of trenching through airfields to bring in new power lines. In addition, based on SimpliPhi airport deployment experience, microgrids are not only more cost effective, they also reduce project timelines.