Join us this week for an exclusive interview with Acculon Energy President, Andrew Thomas, as he shares his insights on Acculon’s growth & achievements, current industry trends, & more!
Contact: Betsy Barry
Communication Manager
706.206.7271
betsy.barry@acculonenergy.com
As Acculon Energy approaches its second anniversary, we had the privilege of sitting down with Andrew Thomas, the president of our company. With a vision rooted in innovation and a commitment to excellence, Andrew has been instrumental in driving Acculon Energy’s growth and success over the past two years. In this interview, Andrew shares his insights on the company’s journey and milestones, trends in our industry, and Acculon’s plans for the future.
Question 1: What inspired the founding of this company, and how has the vision evolved over the past two years?
Andrew: Acculon wasn’t just an idea that appeared out of nowhere. The company came together based on the experience of a group of people working in advanced batteries that goes back 15 years. That experience taught us that advanced batteries–whether it’s lithium, some kind of capacitor, or sodium-ion–are a tough challenge and a challenge that engages every type of engineering, from electrical to mechanical, from software to embedded systems. We, as a team, were a part of a range of experiences that produced great work, and great products that are out in the world. However, when we looked out at all of the electrification activity in the energy storage space, we saw an opportunity based on the coalescing of the experience and capabilities that we possessed to work in industrial markets. The industrial markets lacked access to talent, to experience, and importantly, it lacked access to domestic manufacturing for groundbreaking battery products. That is what fueled our original vision in forming Acculon. We believed our team could do really important work in the industrial markets. Since we founded the company, we’ve only learned that this is even truer today than it was 2 years ago. There are challenges in having the right “know-how” for developing and commercializing battery systems in industrial markets, which are going through an educational phase to catch up to the system-level science behind batteries. We are still in very early days, especially as we see the reshoring efforts with respect to battery manufacturing. So, now, 2 years in, we feel like our original hypothesis was true and our timing was good, which are important in any business.
“I think what is incredible about what our team has developed is that we have great products today in both sodium ion and lithium-ion, but we have architected our system not to bristle against technological advancement, but to embrace it.”
Andrew Thomas,
Acculon Energy President
Question 2: What sets our energy storage solutions apart from our competitors?
Andrew: What I’m really proud of about our solutions and technology is that they mirror our belief system as a company. We are putting out products that reflect our values. We believe that the pace of technological disruption in the battery space is not slowing down, but rather speeding up. The rate of increase is connected to public and private investment in energy storage technologies, fueling this moment in our industry for the next couple of decades. We haven’t settled on which electrochemistry is the “winner” in this or that industrial application. We endeavor to transform tech advancements into products that mirror the pace of innovation going on in the battery industry. I think what is incredible about what our team has developed is that we have great products today in both sodium ion and lithium-ion, but we have architected our system not to bristle against technological advancement, but to embrace it. There will be another electrochemistry in the near future that will lower operating and/or acquisition costs for our customers. We’re not trying to fight it. We’re trying to harness technological innovation to deliver value and accelerate electrification overall rather than just benefit our company specifically. I’m really proud of the adaptability that we’ve infused into our products and I truly believe that sets us apart.
Question 3: What trends do you see shaping the future of the energy storage industry?
Andrew: When I look at trends, I think of the moment in time that we’re currently in with respect to industrial markets–and the moment in time we’re in, we’re really just at the base of the curve. We’re coming up, and the adoption rate is improving, but we’re still moving up the curve. And I’m talking about the whole electrification space. From a trends standpoint, I am thinking about the longevity of the “big players” in these markets, and how they are all committed to the sustainability aspect of participating in the energy transition. I think of this in the context of profitability, and not just in “money for shareholders” capacity, but in building good teams and partners, and being a good company–a place where people are all happy to work. I think that these values are going to motivate companies seeking a partner to scale with, which differs from the early days of the electrification era. What a company did in the early days to get to a minimal viable product, to get a new proof of concept, or to go into field trials is not necessarily the same framework that guides decisions about how we move to the sharp ascent of the curve when the impact to business expands, and exposure to both positive and negative outcomes increases significantly. This is a long-winded way to say that I think the Titans of industry are going to value safety first: product safety mitigates risk exposure and goes hand in hand with product quality. The exposure that comes with, “Hey, we’re packing a lot of energy into this small space and we’re putting it into your vehicle and other applications,” is a risk that must be understood and mitigated. I think the overall trend in the marketplace is going to be a focus on safety. I also think this will inform how companies go to scale. It’s not just manufacturing capabilities. It’s more about capabilities overall. Whether it’s batteries or motors or power electronics, the technological disruption is moving at such a rate, that this is not a great time to have a “monolithic” product outlook, but rather a time for a dynamic product outlook that assumes there will be change.
Question 4: How do you see energy storage markets evolving in the US, specifically?
Andrew: One thing I’ve been thinking about recently is that as battery technology becomes more mature–the performance, the longevity, etc–so far, we have not figured out how to unlock all of the positive benefits of energy storage. I am thinking about how to have the greatest impact. The effort it takes to develop the battery, from getting the minerals to manufacturing a cell to developing a system and putting it out into the world: it’s a significant effort and one that could lead to a greater value than we realize. How do we maximize batteries? To start, we focus on selecting the right chemistry for the application. This can lead to a reimagining of the value we can get out of the battery, such as V2G (vehicle-to-grid). Maybe V2G could be part of demand energy response, or be a part of forming temporary micro-grids. These batteries and battery systems that we are making today are not the ones of 10 years ago, where you have to control for the operating conditions to expect a reasonable operating life. Now batteries have improved to the point where they have a lot more to give, both proverbially and literally.
In the stationary space, there are battery systems serving in a backup capacity that could potentially be assets for the US. Domestically, our energy demand is going up at a faster rate than energy generation is growing. I see energy storage evolving to a level of optimization surrounding how batteries and renewables are integrated for grid forming or grid functionality. Are these some novel ways to fill the gap in energy needs and consumption with vehicles or backup systems? I think so, and I think that this is where we can go in the US as energy storage markets evolve and adapt.
We have to start innovating well and truly in the US, rather than waiting for it to happen elsewhere. I see the US energy storage markets becoming more strategic and more creative, and able to adapt to a shifting world with respect to tariffs and supply chains and all the rest of it. I think further out in the future, the energy storage world will be very different.
Question 5: What values and principles are most important to you in running this company?
Andrew: There are two things that go hand-in-hand: first is that I want everybody here to feel like they are making a difference–a difference in their work and their team. I want us all to feel like we’re going forward. Next, and this is what I’m most proud of, is this company culture we have of fearlessness. I think what we have here is really rare, and it causes people to stretch their capabilities, become very engaged in what they’re learning, and be committed to how they’re applying these things on a daily basis. You can only run fast if you’re sure that you’re on good, solid footing. I think our company culture here provides the foundation needed to really make a difference, and that’s something that makes Acculon a really fun and exciting place to be.