When I arrived at Argonne National Laboratory almost four years ago, I expected to spend my first few months learning about the lab’s capabilities and latest research innovations in energy storage. Little did I realize the quest would continue to this day as I discover new and impactful research in energy storage emerging from every corner of Argonne.

From material discovery to deep characterization capabilities, to the scaling facilities, to our testing labs, Argonne covers every aspect of energy storage: Batteries for transportation and grid storage systems. Fundamental science and industrial collaborations. The mining of critical metals and how to recycle them at the end of their use. The 150-plus researchers working on storage at Argonne bring unparalleled focus to solving problems.

Every day, our scientists and engineers are learning how to take the latest tools to create new storage solutions. No wonder the road to energy storage innovation travels through Argonne.

ACCESS, the acronym for the Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science, was created to ensure that storage problems—inherently cross-disciplinary—are solved using multi-functional teams, bringing together the best and brightest across the lab to leverage deep capabilities and advance the latest scientific developments.

Drawing from the deep science underpinnings developed by the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR), the breadth of activities in vehicle batteries, the growing efforts around grid storage solutions, the strategic initiative on scaling and manufacturing, and the deep connections with industrial partners, ACCESS is ushering in a new era of storage solutions.

Every day, our researchers are learning how to take the latest tools to create new storage solutions.  No wonder the road to energy storage innovation travels through Argonne. — ACCESS Director Venkat Srinivasan

We imagine a world where every vehicle, from a car to a long-haul truck, is powered by electrons, with these advances laying the foundation for an era of electric aviation.

We imagine a resilient grid, enabled by storage, that can allow different forms of electricity generation, and power our homes and businesses through disruptive events.

We imagine creating solutions that are sustainable, with materials readily available and recycling integral to the innovation.

And we imagine a world where the science centers of excellence are collocated with manufacturing centers, so that technology moves seamlessly toward market impact.

We have created the ACCESS newsletter to keep you informed on a quarterly basis of developments that Argonne and its partners are embarking upon to help create this world.

In this, our debut Summer 2020 issue, we feature three stories of impactful science that speak to the breadth of our work in storage: an exploration of single-crystal electrodes for new battery systems; JCESR’s work on solid-state batteries; and how manganese could help replace expensive cobalt in battery cathodes.

In addition, we highlight a key addition to the Argonne team, Susan Babinec, who is leading the stationary storage effort. Sue, who brings both private sector and government experience, came to us from the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E) and is a well-respected figure in the storage community. Stationary storage is, and will remain, a crucial innovation to making the grid more resilient, and Argonne is creating the innovations to make this happen.

Energy storage remains the ​“holy grail” to transition our society to a future where electricity powers everything. Argonne is at the center of creating this future, and the ACCESS newsletter offers a window into some of the pivotal discoveries happening behind the scenes.

Stay tuned,

Venkat