Enerpoly, a battery startup from Stockholm, and Austrian smart photovoltaic startup, EET – Efficient Energy Technology have received €870K in grant funding from the Eurostars-3 program. The funding will be used for the ZincMate project, which aims to create an energy storage device that can be used by all households in Europe.
Eurostars is a highly competitive funding program for SMEs that supports international collaboration in research and innovation. The ZincMate project funding aligns with EU’s energy initiatives. ZincMate’s energy storage solution fits with REPowerEU’s goals of energy savings and accelerating the roll-out of renewable energy to replace fossil fuels in homes and in power generation. The EU funding, originated from Vinnova and FFG Austrian Research Promotion Agency, contributes to the total project budget of €1.74 million.
ZincMate will demonstrate an energy storage solution that can be used by all EU households, including apartments, small living spaces, and shared housing. The technical basis for ZincMate is EET’s on-grid technology in combination with Enerpoly’s cost-effective battery. Enerpoly develops zinc-ion batteries using non-critical materials that can be domestically sourced in the EU. EET makes photovoltaic systems with energy storage that can be simply plugged into a wall outlet for homeowners and tenants to produce their own renewable electricity.
“Rising electricity bills and energy security are increasingly concerning issues for Europe. Everyone, whether homeowners or tenants, should have the ability to generate, store and access renewable energy without breaking the bank. ZincMate offers an affordable, safe, and easy-to-use energy generation plus storage product. By working with EET, we’re taking a decisive step towards making clean energy accessible to all.’ states Eloisa de Castro, CEO of Enerpoly.
“The strategic partnership with Enerpoly is the next step towards a safe, simple, and reliable energy supply for every household. Currently, EET’s SolMate device is equipped with a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery and it’s obvious that battery technology needs to improve. Moving to zinc-ion technology for residential applications is the next step in the right direction.” says Dr. Christoph Grimmer, CEO of EET.
ZincMate prototypes of a plug-in storage system with rechargeable zinc batteries will be produced in the project. These will be tested in both laboratory and home environments. The project commences in 2023 and runs for 2 years.
