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Bloomy Controls Launches New Business Unit For Energy Storage Market

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Bloomy Controls, Inc. today announced the launch of a new business unit, Bloomy Energy Systems, to provide test and data acquisition products for the energy storage market. Bloomy Energy Systems offers configurable test platforms that enable battery, grid storage, and automotive companies to improve quality and reduce time to market of energy storage systems (ESSs) and their components such as advanced batteries, battery management systems, and inverters.  

ESSs are becoming more advanced and intelligent in order to handle specific applications such as renewable energy backup for micro grids. Bloomy Energy Systems offers reliable and accurate solutions that meet the requirements for testing the functionality of the entire ESS, including charge, discharge, and communications to the battery management system (BMS), while also providing simulation of various electronics.

Systems Built on COTS Platforms Create Reliable, Maintainable Solutions

Bloomy Energy Systems solutions leverage commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software platforms from industry leaders such as National Instruments. Using these proven technologies allows Bloomy Energy Systems to deliver acquisition and control systems that meet the demanding requirements of grid-tied testing, and are easily maintainable in the long-term.

"Grid-tied energy storage systems require comprehensive and reliable testing, but present real challenges such as high voltage isolation for accurate measurements," said Owen Golden, vice president of the global energy segment at National Instruments. "Bloomy is well-positioned to meet the specialized needs of this industry with their advanced, customized, and cost-effective test and data acquisition products."

Configurable Systems Offer Flexible Solutions

Bloomy Energy Systems provides customized test and data acquisition platforms to meet customer-specific requirements. Systems are easily configurable among a range of power levels, communications, auxiliary I/O, and channel count for customers that need to test advanced ESSs. Engineers can use Bloomy Energy Systems solutions to acquire, log, and analyze system signals, gauge system efficiencies and monitor ESS performance.

KEMA-Powertest, LLC, a global, leading authority in energy consulting, testing, and certification, developed a 2MW energy storage performance test facility to conduct independent, third-party testing, and standardize methods of evaluating ESSs for power utility companies. KEMA selected Bloomy Energy Systems to create an automated data acquisition and control system because of the company's proven experience in developing reliable, configurable, and accurate systems.

"Bloomy's data acquisition and control system development experience combined with KEMA's expertise in power systems, allowed us to create a state-of-the-art ESS performance test facility," said Paul Leufkens, President of KEMA.

About Bloomy Energy Systems

Founded in 1992, Bloomy Controls, Inc. has 20 years of experience providing systems for automated test, data acquisition and control. The new Bloomy Energy Systems business unit applies Bloomy's extensive experience specifically to energy storage systems. Bloomy Controls, Inc. is a National Instruments Platinum Partner.