"Utility energy storage is here today," according to Dan Vogler, the CTO of battery vendor Ionex. Vogler believes that his firm's large-format prismatic batteries based on lithium iron phosphate (LiFePo4) are the solution. The Ionex Energy Storage System is a 1-megawatt-hour unit capable of producing continuous AC power from a 40-foot shipping container weighing 35,000 kilograms. The container can be mounted on a concrete pad or on a wheeled trailer. . Vogler speaks of the battery and its inverter obviating the need for a solar or wind component to have its own inverter system. Solar and wind energy would go right to the battery as DC with no inverter needed, The Electric Power Research Institute is preparing for multiple demonstrations and the market introduction of 1 megawatt/2 megawatt-hour lithium-ion battery energy storage systems for electric utility grid management solutions. Watts Clever Introduces a Battery Recharger for Standard Batteries.Watts Clever has introduced a Smart Battery Charger that will recharge most popular brands of standard alkaline AA and AAA batteries. Watts Clever reports that the device can recharge the batteries a maximum of 20 times depending on the type and quality of the batteries. The Smart Battery Charger also features protections for overcharging, overheating, and battery type, all helping indicate that a battery is being safely recharged. Watts Clever also states that its Smart Battery Charger can also safely recharge Ni-Cd, Ni-MH, and RAM batteries. From David Schallers Sustainable Practices