Ron Van Dell Joins ViZn Energy Systems as New CEO

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Brings Solid Track Record and Over 30 Years of Leadership Experience from Companies like GE, Schneider Electric, Dell, SolarBridge and Primarion

Columbia Falls, MT – May 13, 2014 – Today it was announced that ViZn Energy Systems, Inc., a pioneer in large-scale energy storage technology, has appointed Ron Van Dell as its new president and chief executive officer. With over 30 years of experience in both the international and United States markets, Van Dell is poised to bring great insight and leadership as ViZn heads into full scale deployment later this year.

Van Dell has led companies across the spectrum from start-ups to businesses that net billions in sales. His expertise also covers a broad range of industries including semiconductors, power, communications, computing, industrial control, electrical distribution and clean tech.

“As renewable and distributed generation continue to rise worldwide, storage solutions will be key to ensuring electric grid quality and stability as operators seek to adapt to an evolving marketplace,” said Ron Van Dell, president and CEO of ViZn Energy Systems, Inc. “It is exciting to join ViZn at a time when it is so well positioned to impact the micro grid infrastructure of the future.”

ViZn’s Zinc Redox Flow Battery is one of the most cost-effective, scalable and safe energy flow batteries on the market. With systems already in the field for testing, ViZn’s patented technology is positioned to break the cost/benefit threshold that is currently limiting widespread adoption of grid-scale energy storage.

“ViZn battery systems have the power to fundamentally change how alternative energy producers manage their energy,” added Craig Wilkins, co-founder and chairman of ViZn Energy Systems, Inc. “With Ron at the helm, we see the potential for ViZn to grow tremendously as we move into full deployment for a market sized at over $10 billion by 2020.”

Ron Van Dell

As President and CEO of SolarBridge Technologies, Van Dell led the development and launch of a groundbreaking microinverter solution for AC Solar Modules. He served as president and CEO at Primarion (sold to Infineon), president and CEO at Legerity (spin off of Communication Division of AMD), and general manager for Dell Computer’s Dimension Line of Business.He held previous international management positions in the U.S. and in Europe at Groupe Schneider, Square D Company and General Electric.

ViZn Energy Systems Announces Zinc/Iron Flow Battery Installation at Flathead Electric Cooperative

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ViZn’s Z20, a 160kwh proprietary energy storage technology, has been installed at Flathead Electric Cooperative for utility integration and testing

March 13th, 2014 – Today, ViZn Energy Systems in cooperation with Flathead Electric Cooperative, announced the installation and integration of an advanced flow battery for grid storage manufactured by ViZn Energy.  The project will provide insight to the benefits energy storage can provide to rural utilities and electric cooperatives in the rapidly changing power delivery market.    

FEC Z20 installed

“The battery we have installed at our Kalispell campus will be used to run a number of applications to evaluate the benefit of grid scale storage and how it can benefit our end users,” states Mark Johnson, FEC’s General Manager. “The wide range of services provided by energy storage promise to be a potentially significant benefit for utilities. Our efforts will be geared to proving the stability, safety and functionality of this new technology in concert with the technology experts at ViZn Energy.” 

 

“This installation is focused on the performance of flow batteries and the benefits storage will bring to utilities.  We are pleased to participate in this project at Flathead Electric, which affords ViZn a utility tied demonstration as well as a local installation that our engineers and scientists can easily access,” states John Lowell, COO of ViZn Energy Systems, Inc. 

ViZn Energy Systems Names James Risher to Board of Advisors

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Today, it was announced ViZn Energy Systems Inc. has appointed James A. Risher to the company’s Board of Advisors. Risher has been an executive in energy and technology for over 40 years, having served as the president of Exide Electronics (now Eaton Powerware) from 1986 until 1997.

More recently, Risher served as CEO of DGT Holdings (DGT DGTH) Corporation in Chicago from 2006 until 2009, where he still holds a position on the board of directors. He also currently acts as managing director at Lumina Group, LLC, a North Carolina firm engaging in advising and investing in mid-tier companies.

“ViZn welcomes Jim’s guidance during the commercial launch of our Zinc/Iron flow batteries,” states Craig Wilkins, President and CEO of ViZn. “The valuable technical expertise and business experience will truly be an asset to ViZn’s growth and expansion as a clean energy provider.”

ViZn Energy Systems, Inc. Launches Large Scale Energy Storage Battery for Micro-Grid Market

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Zinc Redox Flow Battery is Capable of 10,000 Cycles and 20 Plus Year Lifespan

Columbia Falls, MT – September 17, 2013 – What is the key to effectively utilizing alternative energy sources such as wind and solar? Safe and inexpensive storage. Today the industry moves one giant step closer to solving the world’s energy limitation as ViZn Energy Systems, Inc. (formerly Zinc Air, Inc.) starts manufacturing its new Zinc Redox Flow Battery for customer pre-orders in the US and Europe.

ViZn’s Z20 160 kWh Zinc Redox Flow Battery is one of the most cost-effective and safe energy flow batteries on the market capable of providing scalable storage systems for the growing micro-grid markets and renewable integration.   “Right now more than 50 percent of all power generated is wasted before it ever gets to the end user,” explains Craig Wilkins, ViZn Energy Systems, Inc., President and CEO. “Storage batteries like our flow battery could help eliminate the billions of dollars of wasted energy each year. The impact this could have on the world is tremendous. It is understandable why the global smart grid market is expected to cumulatively surpass 400 billion dollars worldwide by 2020, according to a recent report by GTM Research.”

With more than fifteen years of research and intense product development cycles behind it, ViZn’s patented flow-battery technology breaks the cost/benefit threshold that is currently limiting widespread adoption of storage. Delivering a 1MW /2.5MWh battery system at lower pricing than current competition allows for more rapid industry adoption, wider commercial acceptance, and greater reduction of fossil fuel carbon emissions. ViZn’s Zinc Redox Flow Battery has overcome the key obstacles faced within the industry with an inventive use of materials and chemistry to provide a solution that is:

Cost Effective: ViZn implements low-cost chemistry, construction materials, and manufacturing processes that provide the foundation for a cost-effective system. In a micro-grid application, the ViZn battery system teamed with renewable generation can provide 20 percent annual returns over diesel-only generation.

  • Safe: ViZn’s battery is intrinsically safe with chemistry used in food-grade material that is non-flammable, non-explosive and non-toxic.
  • Scalable: ViZn’s Zinc Redox Flow Battery has the ability to scale to hundreds of Megawatts.
  • Reliable: ViZn’s Zinc Redox Flow Battery is estimated to have a 20 plus year lifespan.
  • Sustainable: ViZn’sZinc Redox Flow Battery is composed of widely abundant and low cost materials.

“ViZn’s Zinc Redox technology has been designed to provide economical value by optimizing the balance between power and capacity. Our battery can provide power services such as renewable integration, regulation and ramping, while having enough energy capacity to economically provide load shifting and energy arbitrage,” said John Lowell, ViZn Energy Systems, Inc. COO and VP of Manufacturing and Product Development. “In addition, the 20 year life and safe operation of our battery separate us from other competing technologies.”

 

Availability

ViZn Energy Systems, Inc. is taking orders for the Z20 160 kWh Zinc Flow Batteries now with volume manufacturing ramping up in Q2 of 2014.
To learn more, visit www.viznenergy.com.

Zinc Air, Inc. Changes Name to ViZn Energy Systems, Inc.

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New Name Reflects Company’s Commitment to Meet the Needs of and
Revolutionize the Energy Storage Industry

Columbia Falls, MT. – July 24, 2013 – Zinc Air, Inc. has announced that it has changed its name to ViZn (pronounced VISION) Energy Systems, Inc. effective immediately. The name change, coming just months away from their commercial launch, better reflects the company’s unique technology and position as a market leader in the utility-scale energy storage industry.

In an effort to alleviate confusion among customers, the name ViZn Energy Systems, Inc. also holds relevant meaning within the industry. While the Zn reflects Zinc, the foundation of the company’s chemistry, the full context of the word ‘vision’ is defined as “the act or power of anticipating that which will or may come to be: prophetic vision; the vision of an entrepreneur,” which highlights ViZn’s commitment to meeting both current and future energy needs as well as the foresight shown by the ViZn team in developing this cost effective, safe and scalable solution.

ViZn has based their company mission around the energy revolution that the world is going through with the belief that batteries will be the catalyst for change. The foundation of the technology ViZn developed was specifically created to meet the challenges facing this monumental transition to cleaner forms of energy.

The name change takes effect immediately as of today, July 24, 2013. Please visit www.viznenergy.com for additional details.