ViZn Energy Systems Bolsters Executive Leadership Team

ViZn Energy Systems Appoints of David Mintzer to Vice President Business Development and Del Allison to Vice President Sales

ViZn to ramp up manufacturing of its Zinc Redox Flow Battery systems

Columbia Falls, MT, 25 September 2014 – ViZn Energy Systems, Inc. (ViZn), a pioneer in large-scale energy storage technology, has announced the appointments of David Mintzer and Del Allison to the roles of Vice President, Business Development and Vice President, Sales respectively. With over 50 years in combined business development and sales leadership experience driving some of the industry’s foremost renewable energy and electronics companies, these additions to the ViZn executive team will further strengthen the organization’s growth strategy and global reach as it continues to gain worldwide momentum for its Zinc Redox Flow Battery systems. ViZn also announced that it is ramping up its manufacturing lines to meet growing market need.

Ron Van Dell, President and CEO of ViZn, commented, “Attracting the caliber of leaders like David and Del to the team is a testament to ViZn’s market potential. With their collective passion, industry relationships and experience scaling successful businesses across the globe, we are well positioned to accelerate our growth strategy both domestically and internationally. It’s an exciting time at ViZn and we’re thrilled to have David and Del join our leadership team.”

David Mintzer brings over 25 years’ business development, sales and marketing experience to ViZn from the renewables, electronics and telecommunications sectors. Prior to joining ViZn, Mintzer was VP of Business Development at ET Solar. He has also held roles in business development for SolarBridge Technologies and was VP Sales & Marketing for JDSU’s Commercial Laser Division. Before JDSU, he held positions at Newport Corporation and Physical Optics Corporation where he designed several of the world’s first high-volume illumination systems using high-brightness LED’s for bar-code readers, automotive lighting and laptop (PC) lighting. He later held management positions in Lucent Microelectronics and Agere Systems. Mintzer is the holder of several clean energy patents and holds a BS and MS in Physics from California State University.

Del Allison has over 30 years of high tech sales and marketing experience in large public and mid-cap companies in both domestic and international settings. Prior to joining ViZn, Allison held executive level sales positions at renewable energy and semiconductor companies including SolarBridge Technologies, Achronix Semiconductor and PureEnergy Solutions. During his career, Allison has also held board positions at TransSwitch Asia, Reflex Photonics, IntroInc, GetTheJob, and US Athletic Trust. Allison is a U.S. Airforce veteran and a frequent guest speaker on engineering and clean energy topics.

ViZn Energy Systems Earns Top Honors from Frost & Sullivan

ViZn has exhibited impressive tenacity in designing a first-of-its-kind solution in the energy storage market and breaking the stranglehold of acid-based flow batteries

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Sept 4, 2014 — Based on its recent analysis of the energy storage market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes ViZn Energy with the 2014 North America Frost & Sullivan Entrepreneurial Company of the Year Award. Acknowledging the growing demand for an efficient, safe, and reliable energy storage battery in the renewable energy space, ViZn developed the world’s first cost-effective, alkaline-based flow battery. Its patented technology ensures the optimum storage of energy and guarantees a lifespan of more than 20 years. The battery’s high scalability to hundreds of megawatts; use of abundantly available non-toxic, nonflammable, and low-cost materials such as zinc and iron; and compliance with environmental regulations places ViZn at the forefront of technological innovation.

ViZn has leveraged years of R&D expertise in designing the Z20 160-kWh Zinc Redox Flow Battery that enables efficient energy storage for the fast-growing micro-grid market. The battery has been designed with a water-based, two-phase flow system that consists of a zinc electrode and an iron redox counter electrode. This advanced electrode pair design aids steady and safe operation, thereby lowering operational risks.

ViZn’s Z20 is efficient in renewable firming and power regulation. The technology is designed to withstand frequent temperature fluctuations and facilitates multiple discharge cycles per day, enabling the micro-grid to satisfy energy requirements during peak demands in the mornings and evenings. It claims an ability to supply 10,000 cycles throughout its lifespan.

“Impressively, the Z20 has a distinct capability to de-energize the battery in as fast as 15 seconds in the event of a disaster,” said Frost & Sullivan Research Manager Vishal Sapru. “Additionally, the innovative battery stack design has been able to overcome shunt issues that have been hindering the smooth operation of flow batteries for years.”

Apart from designing innovative solutions, ViZn has demonstrated a keen desire to provide customers with unparalleled service experience, so much so that it treats its customers as partners and provides them with solutions that positively impact their bottom line.

To provide customers with a turnkey experience, each battery cell has an internal feedback loop that is IP addressed. This allows the company’s service center personnel and design engineering staff to assist them when troubleshooting, without affecting their smooth operations, and minimizing wait times. This unique capability also makes it possible to forecast the customer’s energy requirements.

The Z20’s initial cost per kWh is comparatively lower than that offered by other systems. This strategy of developing a product that ensures environmental safety while keeping the price low has given the company a clear advantage in the market.

Furthermore, the company has demonstrated great vision in investing in R&D and outsourcing the manufacturing to experts in the field. This asset-light model cuts down costs while ensuring enhanced product value. ViZn also entered into partnerships with logistic companies to guarantee swift and efficient service.

In addition to providing a reliable solution backed by efficient service, the company is focusing on strong market penetration to increase its customer base. The company is planning to establish footprints in Germany, Hawaii and India to address their growing demand for renewables.

“Recognizing the role played by the Z20 in ensuring ViZn’s success in the energy storage domain, the company secured a patent for it to strengthen its market position,” noted Sapru. “Its expertise in designing an exciting, all-encompassing, yet low-cost solution while ensuring unparalleled customer experience has set ViZn up for greater growth in the future.”

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated excellence in devising a strong growth strategy and robustly implementing it. The recipient has shown strength in terms of innovation in products and technologies, leadership in customer value, as well as speed in response to market needs. In short, the award looks at the emerging market players in the industry and recognizes their best practices that are positioned for future growth excellence.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.