Emera Technologies and Novonix Partner on Innovative Battery Technology

Emera Technologies and Halifax-based Novonix Battery Technology Solutions (Novonix) are working together to develop battery pack systems to support microgrids that will provide solar power directly to homes, and could lead to exciting future opportunities across North America.

In the fall of 2020, Emera Technologies launched BlockEnergy, the first utility-owned community microgrid platform, and partnered with Lennar homebuilders to implement the technology in a new residential community in Florida. For the past year, the Emera Technologies team has also been working with Novonix, a Halifax based battery technology company, to develop a battery pack including innovative designs, custom manufacturing, and control systems to support the direct current BlockEnergy microgrid.

“Emera’s BlockEnergy platform is a great example of applying our technology to real life projects and developing systems with specifications not available currently in commercial products, and that have tangible downstream applications,” said Dr. Chris Burns, co-founder and CEO of Novonix. “This project brings the opportunity to partner on not only the development but also manufacturing of new battery systems with significant market opportunities. The target market is not limited to the United States but will also include a focus on opportunities and customers here in Canada,” said Dr. Burns.

Novonix was born out of work by Dr. Jeff Dahn’s Research Group at Dalhousie University that focuses on lithium-ion battery research and currently works exclusively with Tesla. Dr. Dahn will join Novonix on July 1, 2021 as their Chief Scientific Advisor. “Partnerships like Novonix and Emera Technologies help take battery technology advancements to the real world, in this case powering individual residential homes,” said Dr. Dahn.

Emera Technologies and Novonix plan to field test the first demo units in 2021 which will help inform final decisions around system specifics and design.

“We’re really excited about this partnership and this project,” said Rob Bennett, President and CEO of Emera Technologies. “We’re developing something that doesn’t exist today, that will help provide people with cleaner, more reliable energy, and we’re able to capitalize on expertise at home in Nova Scotia to do that.”