Battery Technology Climate Impact

and Sustainability

zincfive.com zincfive.com
 Fernanda Avila
Senior Research Analyst, Boundless
Impact
favila@boundlessimpact.net

zincfive.com
The Role of Energy Storage in Data Center Sustainability

The global data center energy storage market

size was valued at USD 1.1 billion in 2019 and is
expected to register a compound annual growth
rate (CAGR) of 6.3% from 2020 to 2027.

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 Power vs. Energy
Energy Batteries Power Batteries

The key factor in energy The key factor in power

applications is battery watt hours applications is battery watts
delivered, e.g., Wh or kWh or MWh delivered, e.g., W or kW or MW

ZincFive’s NiZn batteries are power batteries featuring safety in operation

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 High-Power Applications

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 Batteries and Carbon Accounting

• Opportunity for data centers to

improve their carbon footprint

• Scope 3 level battery GHG data now

available

• Data centers can now add batteries

as part of their carbon accounting

Source: GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard

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 Climate Impact Score

• Assessment methodology for battery technologies

• ZincFive NiZn batteries score a 9.4 out of 10

• 1 (worst score); 10 (best score)

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Fernanda Avila
Senior Research Analyst,
Boundless Impact Research
& Analytics
SCOPE 3 ANALYSIS IS CRITICAL TO ASSESSING TRUE GHG EMISSIONS

Scope 3 is THE ONLY analysis that provides investors with a clear understanding of
climate and business risks in a company’s supply chain.

SCOPE 1 SCOPE 2 SCOPE 3

Direct emissions
from operations
1 Energy use
from HVAC,
2 Supply chain,
transportation,
3
hot water waste footprint
and materials
sourcing
 INDUSTRY SPECIFIC IMPACT METRICS ARE MORE ACCURATE AND CLEAR

Carbon Capture Alternative Renewable

Energy Storage
& Sequestration Proteins Energy

Solar and Wind Energy Waste

Sustainable
Technology Efficiency Management /
Recycling Packaging

Water Low Carbon

Purification Fuels

“Building objective criteria within a single sector, such as organic food or green building, is hard enough;
comparing impact across sectors such as education, community development and food security remains very
much a work in progress” – the Case Foundation
WE VALIDATE DATA & UNEARTH THE TRUTH

Rapid Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)

Makes us the Product of Choice for Impact Diligence and Reporting

Raw Materials

Manufacturing

Waste to Value

Distribution
Usage

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 Life Cycle Assessment Summary

Goal: Quantify the carbon intensity, and other Environmental Key Performance Indicators (EKPIs)
environmental impacts, for battery technologies, EKPI Unit of Measure
including nickel-zinc, lithium-ion, lead-acid, Energy Intensity MJ / kWh
sodium sulfur.
GHG Intensity kgCO2e / kWh
Water Footprint Gallons / kWh
VOC footprint mg / kWh
Carbon Return on Customer kgCO2eq saved /
Purchase kWh installed
Carbon Payback Time Years

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Climate Impact Score

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 Batteries GHG Footprint Transport
GHG emissions were measured as CO2 equivalent per kWh of stored energy Production 0.1% 3.4%
(Water & Energy)
Scope: Cradle to Gate
Life Cycle Inventory:
ZincFive
• Type and origin of raw materials GHG Intensity
• Transportation 58.75 kgCO2e/ kWh
• Energy and water inputs
• Location
Materials
96.5%
ZincFive’s NiZn battery has an estimated GHG
Footprint of 59 kgCO2e/kwh of stored energy.
Others Others
Production 30% Production 3% 2% Production 11% 1%
(Water & Energy) (Water & Energy) (Water & Energy)

Li-Ion PbA (AGM & Gel) NaS

GHG Intensity GHG Intensity GHG Intensity
163 kgCO2e/ kWh 84 kgCO2e/ kWh 128 kgCO2e/ kWh
Others
2%

Materials Materials
96% 92%
Materials
68%
 GHG Footprint competitors
GHG emissions were measured as CO2 equivalent per kWh of stored energy

Product GHG Intensity

Compared against industry alternatives: 300
• Li-Ion NMC – Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt
• Li-Ion NCA – Nickel-Cobalt-Aluminum 250

• Li-Ion LFP – Iron-Phosphate 200

• AGM Lead Acid – Absorbed Glass Mat

kgCO2e/kWh
150
• PbA Gel Lead Acid – Gel
• PbA Lead Acid – Pure Lead 100

• NaS - Sodium Sulfur

50

0
Li-Ion Li-Ion Li-Ion LFP PbA - PbA - Gel PbA - NaS ZincFive
ZincFive NiZn GHG Footprint: NMC NCA AGM Pure Lead
• 62% lower compared to lithium-ion batteries
• 37% lower compared to lead-acid batteries
• 54% lower compared to sodium-sulfur batteries

Note:
Industry benchmark data is based on Boundless research and reviewed by independent industry experts.
 Carbon Payback Time
Time required for emissions savings from the product’s use to offset the GHG of its production

Carbon Payback Time

• Assumes each kWh of stored energy is supplied by 2.00

non-emitting electricity. 1.80

• Each with standardized 500 cycles per year 1.60

1.40

ZincFive’s NiZn battery takes between 0.16 and 0.21 1.20

years
years to offset the embedded carbon due to its 1.00

production. 0.80

0.60

0.40
• Li-ion CPT is on average 4.1 times longer.
0.20
• Lead-acid CPT is on average 3.9 times longer.
0.00
• Sodium sulfur CPT is 6.2 times longer. Li-Ion Li-Ion Li-Ion LFP PbA - PbA - Gel PbA - NaS ZincFive
NMC NCA AGM Pure Lead

Note:
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Industry benchmark data is based on Boundless research and reviewed by independent industry experts.
 Carbon Return on Customer Purchase (CROP)
GHG emissions avoided over by ZincFive customers per kWh of customer energy storage

Carbon Return on Customer Purchase

• Each kWh stored supplied by renewables and 40
displaces marginal U.S. grid electricity.
• Technology specific energy density and depth of 30

discharge.

kgCO2e / kWh installed

20
• Each with standardized 500 cycles
10

CROP of ZincFive higher than other battery

chemistries 0

LI-NMC LI-NCA LI-LFP PbA AGM PbA Gel PbA Pure NaS ZincFive
-10
Lead
ZincFive NiZn CROP:
• 6 times higher than Li-ion NCA batteries -20

• 4 times higher compared to PbA-AGM and PbA

Gel batteries.

Note:
zincfive.com
Industry benchmark data is based on Boundless research and reviewed by independent industry experts.
 Energy Intensity
A measure of the energy input per kWh of stored energy

Energy Footprint
The estimated energy footprint of the different battery 3,000
chemistry was:
• Li-ion: 1,094 MJ per kWh on average 2,500

• NaS: 1,060 MJ per kWh on average

• PbA: 740 MJ per kWh on average 2,000

MJ/kWh
• Nickel-Zinc: 726 MJ per kWh 1,500

ZincFive NiZn Energy Footprint: 1,000

• 33% less than Li-ion batteries

• 32% less than Sodium-Sulfur batteries 500

• 23% less than Leas-Acid pure lead

0
• 12% higher than Lead-Acid AGM and Gel Li-Ion Li-Ion Li-Ion LFP PbA - PbA - Gel PbA - Pure NaS ZincFive
NMC NCA AGM Lead

Note:
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Industry benchmark data is based on Boundless research and reviewed by independent industry experts.
 Water & VOC Footprint 1,000
Water footprint

Water use for raw material extraction and manufacturing 900

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) required for manufacturing 800

700

600

gal / kWh
500

• Lead-acid batteries have the lowest Water Footprint 400

300

due to their high degree of recyclability and existing 200

recycling infrastructure. 100

0
2.9 2.9 2.9 9.0

• ZincFive’s nickel-zinc battery has an estimated Water Li-Ion

NMC
Li-Ion
NCA
Li-Ion LFP PbA -
AGM
PbA - Gel PbA - Pure
Lead
NaS ZincFive

Footprint of 9 gallons per kWh and requires 96% less

water for material extraction and manufacturing
VOC Footprint
compared to lithium-ion batteries. 50

45

40

ZincFive NiZn & NaS battery manufacturing requires no 35

VOC. 30

g/kWh
25

20

• Li-Ion VOC use averages 5.5 grams / kWh

15

10

• Lead-acid VOC use averages 12 grams / kWh 5

0
Li-Ion Li-Ion Li-Ion LFP PbA - PbA - Gel PbA - Pure NaS ZincFive
NMC NCA AGM Lead

Note:
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Industry benchmark data is based on Boundless research and reviewed by independent industry experts.
Climate Impact Score

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 Battery technology climate impact and sustainability
Data center operators can now:

• Consider battery inventory in carbon

accounting

• Establish sustainability criteria for

battery sourcing

• Challenge the energy storage industry

on sustainability
Source: GHG Protocol Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard

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 Steve Jennings
SR. VP, ZincFive
sjennings@zincfive.com

Fernanda Avila
Senior Research Analyst, Boundless Impact
favila@boundlessimpact.net

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 Climate Impact Report

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