Leading DOE Programs
Key DOE programs relevant to energy storage.
Consortia
Research and development to create superior, no-compromise batteries that replate lithium with inexpensive, domestically abundant sodium and use few – if any – critical materials.
- Funded by: DOE VTO
- Keywords: NIB, sodium, critical materials, earth abundant, domestic resources, low cost, long duration, grid
Partners:
Argonne National Laboratory,
Brookhaven National Laboratory,
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
Sandia National Laboratory,
SLAC National Acceleration Laboratory, Florida State University, University of California San Diego, University of Houston, University of Illinois Chicago, University of Maryland, University of Rhode Island, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Virginia Tech
Transform landscape of materials chemistry and unlock the mysteries of electrochemical phenomena at the atomic scale.
- Funded by: DOE Energy Innovation Hub
- Keywords: battery, sustainable materials, critical materials, earth abundant, high capacity
Partners:
Argonne National Lab (ANL) [Lead], Berkley Lab,
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Columbia University, Duke, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Princeton University, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), The University of Chicago, University of Houston, University of Illinois Chicago, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, Xavier University of Louisiana
Develop high capacity electric vehicle batteries that are more reliable, high performing, safe, and less expensive.
- Funded by: DOE VTO
- Keywords: battery, cathode, anode, lithium, LIB, critical materials, high voltage, high capacity
Partners:
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Lead),
Brookhaven National Laboratory,
Idaho National Laboratory,
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Binghamton University, Stanford University, UC San Diego, The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Washington, SMU, General Motors (GM)
Eliminate barriers to implement silicon-based anodes to significantly increase the energy density of lithium-ion cells.
- Funded by: DOE VTO
- Keywords: battery, anode, silicon, critical materials, high capacity
Initiative
Reduce time it takes for emerging energy storage technologies to go from lab to market by developing new tools that will accelerate the testing and validation process needed to ensure commercial success. ROVI supports the DOE wide Energy Storage Grand Challenge (ESGC).
Comprehensive program to accelerate the development, commercialization, and utilization for next generation energy storage technologies and sustain American global leadership in energy storage.
- Funded by: DOE
- Keywords: acceleration, commercialization, next-generation technologies
Partners:
Tag: Program, ESGS DOE Org Chart
Leverages ESGC to identify key energy storage issues to be addressed over the next decade, and are outlined in the Long Duration Storage Shot.
- Funded by: DOE
- Keywords: Long duration, energy storage, low cost, clean power
Partners:
ESGS DOE Org Chart
Facility
Advance next generation of grid and transportation energy storage technologies through validation, acceleration, collaboration, and education.
- Supported by: This national capability was made possible with funding from the Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Electricity (OE), in collaboration with the Office of Science, and with support from the State of Washington, Battelle, and PNNL. The GSL fosters collaboration between national labs and other stakeholders to support DOE’s mission.
Partners:
Flow batteries, sodium, zinc, lithium ion, lead acid, Prototype and unit-level systems
Key capabilities:
- T&V1
- 10 kW and up to 40 kWh
- T&V2
- 100 kW and 400 kWh
- Industry: Apply for testing here.
Bridge the gap between fundamental research and commercialization through the fabrication and testing of pouch cell & prismatic cell batteries.
- Supported by: Energy Storage Grand Challenge, Long Duration Storage Shot
Partners:
Li-ion, Li metal, Na-ion
Key capabilities:
- Semi-automatic pouch cell fabrication line for 15 Ah pouch cells or less
- Semi-automatic prismatic fabrication line for 24 Ah cells or less
- Two state-of-the-art dry rooms
Materials and process scale-up, electrode synthesis, and electrochemical processing
with strong crosscutting infrastructure.
Capabilities
Flow Battery
- Materials and process scale-up for flow battery components.
- Cathode and anode synthesis.
- Cell and component manufacturing.
Crosscutting
- Materials and process scale-up for energy storage materials.
- Electrode synthesis and cell/component manufacturing.
Equipment & Facilities
Key Equipment
- DC and pulsed power supplies, potentiostats, electrochemical workstations.
- Electrochemical surface finishing (electroplating/electropolishing).
- Acoustic mixers; mills for slurry and powder preparation.
- Heat-element, environmental, and microwave furnaces.
- Particle size and surface area analyzers; NMR; electron microscopes.
- Solar simulators and concentrated light sources.
- High-purity alloy and powder synthesis/processing tools.
Facilities
- Electrochemical working stations and materials synthesis labs.
- Sensitive Instrument Facility (SIF).
- NMR laboratory.
Broad solid-state and flow battery development, from synthesis and roll-to-roll
processing to multi-scale modeling and analysis.
Capabilities
Solid-State Battery
- SSE and cathode material synthesis and scale-up (oxides, sulfides, halides, polymers/composites).
- SSE membranes and interface layers; cathode laminate processing (including roll-to-roll).
- Cell prototyping with Li metal, hybrid, and all-solid-state architectures.
- Electrochemical, analytical, structural, and compositional characterization (ex situ, in situ, operando).
Flow Battery
- Large-volume synthesis of redox-active molecules.
- Membrane manufacturing and functional coatings (roll-to-roll).
- Compositional, morphological, degradation, and mechanical analysis.
Crosscutting
- Technoeconomic analysis (BatPaC), life-cycle analysis (GREET), recycling (EverBatt/EverGrid).
- Supply chain and process modeling (GcMat, IMPACT).
- Synthesis modeling (co-precipitation, sintering, densification).
- Performance modeling linking composition/morphology to life.
Equipment & Facilities
Key Equipment
- Flame spray pyrolysis, dry and solution synthesis for SSEs.
- Co-precipitation reactors, milling (planetary, roller, cryo, jet bead).
- Wet deposition, slot-die, rotary screen and flexographic roll-to-roll coaters.
- Electrodeposition of Li metal; electrospinning and electro-spraying systems.
- Roll-to-roll drying (UV/IR/photonic) and advanced powder coatings (ALD/MLD).
- Multiple cell formats (pouch, 18650, coin, custom).
Facilities
Representative facilities (links are placeholders; update as needed):
- Cell Analysis, Modeling, and Prototyping (CAMP) Facility.
- Electrochemical Analysis and Diagnostics Laboratory (EADL).
- Post-Test Facility; Electrochemical Discovery Laboratory (EDL).
- Materials Engineering Research Facility (MERF); ReCell Center.
- Advanced Photon Source (APS); Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM).
- Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF).
Advanced operando X-ray and microscopy capabilities for solid-state and flow
battery interfaces and components.
Capabilities
Solid-State Battery
- Electrochemical testing and analysis of solid-state cells.
- In situ/operando oxidation state and structure tracking.
- Surface and interfacial analysis in inert environments.
- Advanced electron microscopy and tomography.
Flow Battery
- In situ/operando oxidation-state tracking in flow systems.
- Electrochemical testing and analysis of flow cells.
- Anolyte/catholyte quantitative analysis.
- Current collector and separator characterization.
Equipment & Facilities
Detailed equipment lists are typically tied to specific beamlines and user
facilities; refer to Brookhaven’s battery and synchrotron program pages for
up-to-date instrumentation.
Battery testing, mechanical verification, solid-state manufacturing, and multi-scale
modeling for performance and failure analysis.
Capabilities
Solid-State Battery
- Battery testing from 0–1000 V and 0–440 kW.
- Mechanical performance verification and validation.
- Electrode and electrolyte scale-up and cell/component manufacturing.
- Electric-field sintering science and system optimization.
Flow Battery
- Membrane scale-up for flow batteries.
Crosscutting
- DFT and ReaxFF MD modeling for materials.
- Advanced electrolyte modeling (AEM) for optimization.
- Machine learning and physics-based failure mode identification.
- Material development for advanced energy storage.
Equipment & Facilities
Key Equipment
- Multi-axis vibration stage for mechanical characterization.
- Roll-to-roll electric-field-assisted sintering line.
- 3D printing of electrolyte materials.
- Tape casting for electrodes/electrolytes (>100 cm²).
- Gloveboxes and pouch cell scale-up capability.
- Optical and electron microscopy; positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy.
- Nano-X-ray CT and neutron CT.
Facilities
- Electrochemical Processing & Electrocatalysis Lab.
- Electric Field Assisted Sintering Facility.
- Battery Test Center, Energy Storage Materials Lab.
- Non-destructive Battery Evaluation Lab.
Computational design (Materials Project, A-Lab) plus advanced ceramics processing,
cell fabrication, and multi-scale characterization for both solid-state and flow systems.
Capabilities
Solid-State Battery
- Computational screening (Materials Project) and autonomous synthesis (A-Lab).
- Ceramics processing, cathode design, and cell/component fabrication.
- LLZO/halide cells with thin electrolytes (<50 μm) and thick porous scaffolds.
- Broad synthesis methods, polymer composites, and electrode design.
- Battery testing and characterization (SEM, spectroscopy, XRD, thermal analyses).
Flow Battery
- Computational design and A-Lab support for electrolyte and materials discovery.
- Membrane and composite electrode fabrication and stack assembly.
- Separator/membrane particle and slurry characterization.
- Cell testing (1–50 cm², 100 fA–200 A) with UV/Vis SOC tracking.
- Multi-scale modeling of flow-by/flow-through systems.
Equipment & Facilities
Key Equipment
- Tape casters (bench, mini glovebox, and 1.5 m pilot lines).
- Calendering, dilatometers, slurry casting robot (with imaging).
- Slot-die coaters, furnaces, mills, presses, laser cutting.
- Vacuum infiltration, cyclers and potentiostats (EIS to 7 MHz).
- Mixers, particle size/BET, TGA/DSC, FT-IR/Raman, SEM/EDS, gloveboxes.
- XRD (capillary, hot stage) and Schlenk lines.
Crosscutting Facilities
- Advanced Light Source (ALS) – tomography, XRF, microdiffraction, soft XAS.
- Molecular Foundry – nanoscience and electron microscopy.
- FLEXLab/FLEXGRID – building/DER testbeds with storage.
Powder and ceramic processing, multi-scale modeling, and advanced manufacturing
support for solid-state batteries and related technologies.
Capabilities
Crosscutting
- Powder and ceramic processing for energy storage materials.
- Multi-scale modeling supported by high-performance computing (Livermore Computing).
Equipment & Facilities
Key Equipment
- Roll-to-roll coaters in gloveboxes.
- Potentiostats with EIS; battery cyclers; environmental chambers.
- Advanced characterization (XRD, SEM/TEM, XPS to glovebox, ToF-SIMS).
Facilities
- Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory (AML).
- Livermore Computing (HPC clusters such as Sierra, Lassen, Corona).
- Visualization clusters and HPC tool environment.
Flow battery testing, membrane evaluation, and air-sensitive chemistry handling,
with planned roll-to-roll capabilities.
Capabilities
Flow Battery
- Flow battery testing across aqueous and non-aqueous systems.
- Membrane/separator evaluation and failure analysis.
- Electrolyte synthesis and manufacturing.
- Expertise in air-sensitive chemistry for energy storage.
Equipment & Facilities
Key Equipment
- Multichannel battery cyclers and high-current (≈200 A) potentiostats.
- Multiple potentiostat/bipotentiostat systems.
- Gloveboxes for air-sensitive battery chemistries.
- Multiple test stands for both aqueous and non-aqueous flow cell testing.
Facilities
- Planned roll-to-roll casting/coating unit for membranes and electrodes.
- X-ray instruments (XRD, XRF) and optical/SEM microscopes.
- Additional characterization: contact angle, porosimetry, UV/Vis, GC-MS, LC-MS, NMR.
- Micro-CT for electrode characterization.
National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)
Electrochemical testing, multi-physics modeling, and technoeconomic analysis,
with strong experience in solid oxide systems and high-temperature processing.
Capabilities
Solid-State Battery
- Electrochemical testing and characterization.
- Multi-scale, multiphysics electrochemical performance modeling.
- Nanoparticle synthesis and materials evolution measurement/modeling.
- Materials structure/function evaluation, including analytical microscopy and digital reconstructions.
Flow Battery
- Modeling and computational analysis, especially electrodynamics and fluid flow.
Crosscutting
- Technoeconomic analysis for advanced energy storage.
- Multiphysics electrochemical performance modeling.
- Flagship expertise in solid oxide fuel and electrolysis cells.
Equipment & Facilities
Key Equipment
- System testing equipment including facility grid tie-in.
- Multichannel potentiostats and frequency response analyzers.
- Potentiostat with 100 A power booster.
- Tape caster, spin coater, screen printer, and ultrasonic spray coater.
- Sputtering and ALD chambers for thin films and powder coatings.
- High-temperature furnaces for synthesis and thermal processing.
- SEM, TEM, XPS, and XRD for materials characterization.
Facilities
- Solid oxide cell test facilities that can be repurposed for battery testing.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Advanced processing and in situ characterization for sulfide/halide/polymer
solid electrolytes and redox flow systems, plus system-level modeling and testing.
Capabilities
Solid-State Battery
- Novel material processing for sulfide, halide, and polymer electrolytes.
- Large-area full-cell fabrication using slurry casting and device testing.
- In situ methods to study chemical and mechanical changes.
Flow Battery
- Rapid evaluation of novel electrolyte solutions.
- Design and fabrication of high-performance/low-cost RFB cells and stacks.
- Balance-of-plant design and prototype fabrication/testing.
Crosscutting
- Extensive electrochemical modeling for Li-ion, flow, and fuel cell systems.
Equipment & Facilities
Key Equipment
- Gloveboxes dedicated to sulfide solid electrolytes and lithium metal anodes.
- Casting and calendering equipment for solid electrolytes.
- Lithium vacuum deposition chamber; presses and custom fixtures for solid-state testing.
- Flow loops for small redox flow battery testing (aqueous and organic).
- SLA 3D printer, CNC, polishing wheel, and benchtop mills for stack prototypes.
Crosscutting Facilities
- In situ/XPS, AFM transport imaging, nano-indentation, nano-CT, X-ray absorption tools.
- High-throughput laser processing for novel 3D architectures.
- Large environmental chambers and isothermal calorimeters for thermal testing.
- Solid-state device fabrication labs and RFB testing labs.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)
Manufacturing-focused solid-state and flow battery capabilities, including
roll-to-roll coating, sintering, and additive manufacturing.
Capabilities
Solid-State Battery
- Sintering simulation and non-destructive evaluation for quality.
- Raw materials and slurry dispersion; electrode engineering.
- Polymer/ceramic membranes and composite cathodes.
- Lithium anode lamination and deposition; in situ polymerization/crosslinking.
- In situ characterization and QA; adhesion and mechanical expertise.
- High-throughput, large-scale additive manufacturing.
- Carbon fiber bundle fabrication and roll-to-roll plasma surface treatment.
Flow Battery
- Membrane, electrode, and cell testing/characterization.
- Additive manufacturing for new flow architectures.
- Carbon fiber fabrication and plasma treatment.
Crosscutting
- Roll-to-roll coating (single/double/multilayer) and electrode architecture manufacturing.
- Advanced sintering and in-operando detection during synthesis/sintering.
- Dry rooms and development of new feedstocks and processes.
Equipment & Facilities
Key Equipment
- Slot-die coaters, tape casting, screen printing, plasma deposition.
- Fast sintering tools, Li deposition systems, interface engineering lines.
- R2R slot-die/calendering/pressing with UV and e-beam curing.
- Pouch cell line up to ~5 Ah; XRD/XPS/FIB-SEM operando cells.
Facilities
- Battery Manufacturing Facility (BMF) and Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF).
- Center for Nanophase Materials Science (CNMS).
- Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) and Carbon Fiber Technology Facility (CFTF).
- Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF).
- Energy Storage and Conversion Manufacturing & Energy Storage Groups.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)
High-conductivity solid electrolytes, advanced roll-to-roll manufacturing, and
leading flow battery testbeds with integrated ML and operando tools.
Capabilities
Solid-State Battery
- High-conductivity SSE synthesis (up to ~200 g/batch).
- Dry processing of membranes and electrodes.
- Pouch, cylindrical, and prismatic cell prototyping.
Flow Battery
- High-throughput robotic electrolyte formulation and testing.
- Flow battery testing from single cells up to ~100 kW / 400 kWh stacks.
- RFB prototyping (electrolyte production, CFD flow fields, parts manufacturing).
- ML models for RFB performance prediction.
Crosscutting
- Operando characterization tools across scales.
- ML models for molecular/electrolyte prediction and literature mining.
Equipment & Facilities
Key Equipment
- Advanced extrusion and roll-to-roll manufacturing tools.
- Diagnostics from materials to cell (PFIB/SEM, Cryo-TEM, Micro-CT, mechanical tests).
- Two “Big Kahuna” robotic platforms with EIS/CV/HPLC-MS for autonomous testing.
- >20 flow battery stations (up to 100 kW/400 kWh) with potentiostats and testers.
- NMR, EPR, Raman, ICP, XPS, SIMS, and other advanced characterization tools.
Facilities
- Advanced Battery Facility (pouch cell line and dry room).
- Advanced flow battery laboratories.
- Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL).
- Supercomputing clusters and HPC resources for ML and simulation.
Comprehensive materials, electrochemical, and abuse testing capabilities for
solid-state and flow batteries, with strong modeling and analytics.
Capabilities
Solid-State Battery
- Synthesis and characterization of inorganic, polymer, and quasi-solid SSEs.
- Evaluation across cell sizes, including ionogels and garnet/perovskite/polymer systems.
Flow Battery
- Synthesis and characterization of active species and membranes.
- Assembly and testing in static and flowing configurations.
Crosscutting
- Extensive materials and chemical characterization (SEM/TEM/AC-STEM/cryo-TEM, PFIB, AFM, XRD, GC, etc.).
- Electrochemical characterization (CV, GITT, EIS, cycling, temperature).
- Destructive physical analysis; CT scanning; lab and meso-scale testing.
- Battery integration and power electronics; thermal runaway and safety analysis tools.
- Energy storage analytics (QuESt, MDT).
Equipment & Facilities
Key Equipment
- Lab-scale solid-state battery assembly and testing (air-free/dry-room).
- Hydraulic and electromechanical load frames; custom pressure testers.
- Flow battery test cells, gas analysis, and membrane conductivity tools.
- 3D printing for custom flow fields.
- Multi-channel testers, calorimeters, and advanced synthesis equipment.
Facilities
- Large DOE battery prototyping and manufacturing facility (~80k sq ft; 10k sq ft dry room).
- BATLaB abuse testing facilities, battery test facilities, and burn site.
- Energy Storage Test Pad and Battery Energy Storage Test Lab.
- Multiple power electronics labs and cycling labs.
Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL)
Crosscutting electrochemical processing and characterization tools for
electrode and materials development.
Capabilities
Crosscutting
- Electrochemical surface finishing (electroplating and electropolishing).
- Spray deposition and tape casting for porous electrode fabrication.
- Slurry preparation and post-processing for electrodes.
Equipment & Facilities
Key Equipment
- Multichannel potentiostats and frequency analyzers.
- Bipotentiostats and high-current potentiostats.
- Automatic ultrasonic spray coaters; speed mixers and homogenizers.
- Various mills for slurry preparation; furnaces for electrode processing.
- Laser confocal microscopes, surface area analyzers, electron microscopes.
Large-format cell fabrication and advanced operando X-ray/synchrotron diagnostics
for solid-state and flow batteries, plus battery informatics and TEA.
Capabilities
Solid-State Battery
- Pouch-cell fabrication and electrode processing.
- Synthesis and processing of lithium-based solid electrolytes and cathodes.
- Operando and ex situ synchrotron X-ray diagnostics for large-format batteries.
- Scanning probe and cryo-electron microscopy of materials and interphases.
Flow Battery
- Accelerated testing of flow cells.
- Failure mode analysis using synchrotron imaging and spectroscopy.
Crosscutting
- Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and high-precision coulometry.
- Technoeconomic analysis of battery material manufacturing and LDES chemistries.
- Battery informatics lab for large-format cell testing, data ingestion, and ML analytics.
Equipment & Facilities
Key Equipment
- Large co-precipitation reactors for cathode material scale-up.
- High-temperature hot-press and sintering tools.
- ~600 battery cell cyclers and multiple environmental chambers.
- High-precision coulometry and EIS setups.
- Thin-film printing web compatible with beamlines (slot-die to blade coating).
- Single-layer laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) system for metal AM characterization.
- Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and operando IR spectroscopy setups.
Facilities
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL).
- SLAC/Stanford Cryo-EM Center (S2C2).
- Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS).