I learned of a Toronto-area battery company called Axion Power through a recent conversation with the CEO of a local renewable energy systems provider. Axion, which became an OTC publicly traded company through a reverse takeover earlier this year, is developing what it calls a “hybrid energy storage device” with the characteristics of both batteries and supercapacitors.

“Our e3 Supercells replace the lead-based negative electrodes in conventional lead-acid batteries with nanoporous carbon electrodes similar to those found in advanced supercapacitors,” according to the company’s Web site, which is quite amateurish but is apparently going through a redesign.

So what makes this battery so special? The company claims it can charge three to five times faster than a conventional lead-acid battery. It also says the battery can handle three to four times as many charge/discharge cycles in deep discharge applications, such as in connection with wind and solar PV systems. On top of that, the technology is designed to handle repetitive 90 per cent depth of discharge without any major loss of performance. Applications being targeted by Axion include the standard fare: telecom tower backup power; short-term energy storage and “buffering” for grid-connected renewable energy systems and conventional utilities; and finally, as a source of power for hybrid-electric cars, electric golf carts and vehicles such as forklifts.

Thomas Cleland, the CEO of Newmarket, Ont.-based Hybridyne Power Systems Canada Inc. — he’s the guy who told me about Axion — says he’s agreed to test out a 5-kilowatt beta version of the battery with one of his renewable energy installations, most likely one that’s wind-based. It would be to test out the battery’s peak-shaving potential.

“Their vision of the product is that it would be possible, with a very large inverter system, to do large-scale, multi-megawatt peak shaving that relieves the grid during peak stress times,” said Cleland, adding that he’s been tracking the Axion technology for more than three years and is quite confident it’s the real deal.

I guess, like anything out there, it comes down to cost and competition. Nobody argues the fact that battery technology has been the weakest link in the clean-energy race, but there are many contenders to the mighty lead-acid battery emerging from every corner, whether it be advances in lithium-ion technology and fuel cells to Redox flow and ceramic batteries. Axion’s technology may solve issues dealing with charging time, lifespan and deep-discharging, but what I don’t see is any claim of improved power density or reduced weight.

Nonetheless, yet another new cleantech venture to follow in an industry hungry for a better, lighter, more powerful alternative to the trusty lead-acid beast.

Making good so far on its earlier intentions, Purolator Courier, Canada’s largest next-day delivery company, has placed an order for 115 new hybrid-electric delivery vehicles from Toronto-based Azure Dynamics. It’s part of a five-year plan to replace up to half its fleet of 4,000 vehicles with Azure’s hybrid versions. “The 115 hybrid electric vehicle order is the largest of its kind in the delivery industry,” said Azure CEO Campbell Deacon. For a detailed look at the history of the deal, check out this June article in the Toronto Star. Purolator is expecting delivery of the vehicles in 2006.

Hmmm… some good news out of Xantrex for a change, even more interesting considering it’s related to wind, a market that has been somewhat flat for Xantrex over the past year. The company has a 2-year deal with Clipper Windpower in California to provide converters for its 2.5 megawatt wind turbines. The deal amounts to about $10 million (U.S.) in new revenues for Xantrex. “As our business continues to grow in North America and around the world, we expected Xantrex to be a significant long-term supplier,” said Clipper CEO James Dehlsen.

Victoria, B.C.-based Carmanah Technologies has diverted its production efforts towards handling a surge of orders from the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast. The company received orders for 500 of its marine, railway and aviation lights the week following Katrina. The LED units are powered by a combination of solar PV and batteries, meaning they require no electrical wiring and operate for five years or longer with no maintenance. Carmanah told the Vancouver Sun that it has sent all its inventory to the region, which will also be given priority as new units are produced. About 300 of the lighting units will be used by the U.S. Coast Guard, with the rest distributed to affected areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Meanwhile, Sonic Environmental Solutions Inc. of Vancouver is raising $2.2 million in a private placement. The proceeds will go towards advancing the development of Sonic’s PCB-decontamination technology, which uses sonic energy to literally shake contaminated soil or fluids and accelerate chemical processes that break down PCBs. Click here and here for past posts.

Also today, Cleantech Venture Network released its latest data on cleantech investing. In the second quarter of 2005 investments in cleantech grew to $369 million (U.S.), up 9 per cent from the first quarter. In the first half of 2005, investments have jumped 21 per cent to $705 million compared to last year. The venture network is forecasting that more than $1.5 billion will be invested in cleantech deals by year end, a 25 per cent year-over-year increase, due to rising energy prices, after-effects of Hurricane Katrina and cleantech-friendly energy legislation. Indeed, energy-specific cleantech investments in the second quarter amounted to a little more than half of all investments.

“The most active investors in Q2 were RockPort Capital Partners, Mohr Davidow Ventures, and Draper Fisher Jurvetson, each participating in three cleantech financings. Altira Group, New Enterprise Associates, Odyssey Venture Partners, OnPoint Technologies, SAM-Sustainable Asset Management, and Venture Capital Fund of New England participated in two deals each,” according to Cleantech Venture Network.

Apparently advances in hybrid-electric vehicles, and the increasing number of hybrid cars coming to market, has environmental group the Sierra Club making a mends with the auto industry. Ford’s new Mercury Mariner hybrid and Honda’s 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid debuted at Sierra Club’s national environment convention. In fact, the group plans joint promotions with Ford to increase awareness of its Mariner and Escape Hybrid. Wired.com reports that Sierra Club invited Ford, Honda and Toyota to the convention because it wants to make hybrid vehicles more successful.

I’m all for this strategy, as long as it’s not a wholesale acceptance of hybrids and doesn’t reward companies that are merely throwing around the hybrid designation to ride the coat tails of others. Fact is, some hybrids are terrific. Others are just PR campaigns. While it’s great that the industry is coming out in full force with SUV hybrids, the bigger problem is the continued widespread promotion of SUVs — period. Some so-called hybrids are a joke.

Case in point: Porsche announced today it’s going to build a hybrid version of its Cayenne SUV. “The hybrid Cayenne will cut fuel consumption by approximately 15 per cent while retaining its legendary Porsche driving dynamics. To be launched by the end of the decade, the vehicle’s environmentally friendly drive system is being developed together with Volkswagon Group.”

Launched by the end of the decade? Fuel consumption reduced by 15 per cent? Again — is this a joke? Considering the Ford Mariner is claiming a 50 per cent increase in fuel economy for city driving, and is out today, why does it take Porsche until the end of the decade to make such modest improvements?

Kudos to Sierra Club for rewarding those making some serious progress and punishing those that aren’t taking the issue so seriously. The group reportedly did not invite makers of hybrid SUVs that aren’t achieving substantial fuel efficiency, and it remains opposed to manufacturers who are simply using hybrid technology to give slightly better fuel economy to muscle cars and monster trucks/SUVs.