In the evolving landscape of renewable energy, battery energy storage is becoming critical to ensure grid reliability, optimise energy distribution, and enable the widespread adoption of renewable energy. Allye Energy, a pioneering energy storage company, has set new safety benchmarks in the industry by integrating Metis Engineering’s Cell Guard with Accelerometer battery sensors into its high-value cutting-edge static energy storage solutions.
This case study delves into how Allye is utilising the innovative features of Metis Engineering’s Cell Guard to redefine safety and efficiency standards in the energy storage sector.
About Allye: Pioneering Battery Energy Storage
Allye is building an intelligent energy management platform that transforms how businesses and communities store, share, and optimise electricity. The Allye platform combines hardware, software and an operating system that solves constraints and lowers energy costs. The hardware is a 320kWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) that utilises repurposed Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries for maximum performance and safety, complete with their BMS, cooling systems, and high-voltage connections. This innovative approach delivers a significant cost reduction while reducing embedded CO2 emissions by 60%. The system’s unique independent pack configuration enables true bi-directional energy flows – a first in the industry – allowing simultaneous charging and discharging operations. This improves functionality for a range of diverse applications including EV charging, while also maximising system utilisation to reduce downtime and overall operating continuity.
The Allye MAX is a modular BESS solution which ensures scalability, allowing capacity and power to be increased as needed. This means Allye can immediately deliver a larger MWh system by connecting multiple systems together in parallel with plug-and-play architecture. The advantage of this ‘building block’ modularity is greater flexibility, starting with a smaller system initially and then adding more units and capacity over time. This reduces upfront capital investment, ensuring the overall system can be right sized for initial requirements but allowing for upgradeability in the future. It also facilitates rapid deployment and integration with existing infrastructure, whether installed on-grid behind-the-meter or alternatively as an off-grid mobile system to replace diesel generators.
With a strong commitment to innovation and sustainability, Allye required a solution that not only monitored the environmental health within their BESS but also enhanced safety—an essential aspect given the inherent risks associated with lithium-ion battery packs.
The First Challenge: The Use of Second-Life Batteries for Energy Storage
The ready supply of second-life EV battery packs makes them the ideal choice for Allye’s innovative energy storage systems. However, second-life batteries come with inherent uncertainties regarding their previous operating conditions and any potential impacts the vehicle may have endured. For this reason, Allye conducts extensive testing of all batteries while installed in the vehicle to diagnose state of health. Once the battery has passed this first stage test, Allye carries out an extensive assessment by fully charging and discharging the battery to characterise its performance, health and safety right down to an individual cell level. These tests identify any cell imbalances and overall battery pack health, reinforcing Allye’s safety first and prevention strategy to thermal runaway. Allye takes every precaution to monitor its systems during operation, and sought a method for early detection of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) to identify potential battery faults or leaks before they escalate.
The Second Challenge: Ensuring Ongoing Safety
To manage safety, Allye employs independent battery management through Allye’s Energy Management System with full battery cell monitoring for under/over voltage and an ability to isolate batteries before any event escalates. This includes continuous temperature monitoring for early detection of unusual heat buildup, allowing for preventive measures such as power to be reduced to zero. Continuous monitoring is reported real time to Allye’s back-end data management system for real-time analysis and fault detection, even for remote and off-grid applications. However, additional installation and operational requirements led to Allye to consider additional parameters relating to shock, abuse and VOC monitoring as the leading indicator of cell venting and thus thermal runway. Mobile systems that are used in construction sites or other hazardous locations, or stationary in support of EV charging in car parks or at industrial sites face the risk of collision from vehicles. To address these challenges, Allye sought an additional battery monitoring and safety solution capable of mitigating risks while ensuring optimal performance.
The Solution: Metis Engineering’s Cell Guard with Accelerometer
Allye selected Metis Engineering’s Cell Guard with Accelerometer to integrate into their BESS. Cell Guard is an advanced battery monitoring device that combines multi-parameter sensing with built-in accelerometer functionality. It monitors critical parameters such as temperature, humidity, pressure, and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emissions, providing early detection of potential failures.
“At Allye, we selected Metis Engineering’s Cell Guard with Accelerometer for its exceptional ability to provide early detection of potential battery issues through VOC monitoring and impact sensing. This technology perfectly complements our multi-layered safety approach and reinforces our commitment to delivering the safest second-life battery storage solutions in the industry. Cell Guard has proven to be an invaluable addition to our safety-first strategy.”
Jonathan Carrier, Founder and CEO
Key Features of Cell Guard:
- Multi-Parameter Monitoring: Tracks temperature, pressure, humidity, dew point, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and hydrogen (an optional extra) to provide a comprehensive safety profile.
- Accelerometer Integration: Detects shock load and duration, vibrations, and mechanical impacts to the battery pack during operation.
- Real-Time Alerts: Provides early warning of thermal runaway, moisture ingress or mechanical impacts, allowing proactive intervention.
- Compact and Lightweight: Ideal for integration into modular systems without compromising space or weight constraints.
- Data-Driven Insights: CAN based and easy to integrate into any BMS. Offers actionable data for predictive maintenance and performance optimisation.
Customer Success Story: A Game-Changing Deployment
One of Allye’s most notable successes with Metis Engineering’s Cell Guard was during the deployment of it’s BESS at Roadchef Killington Lakes motorway services. The system was installed in the car park, in close proximity to Electric Vehicles and EV chargers – an exposed environment with harsh environmental conditions. Allye needed to understand if it’s system was subject to any impact, and the earliest possible detection of cell venting given the public installation.
– Solution: Cell Guard’s remote monitoring capabilities provided continuous oversight of the Energy Storage System, identifying potential risks such as impact and increases in VOC levels.
– Outcome: Allye has successfully installed the energy storage system and has, to date fully cycled the system approximately 50 times without any safety incidents, exceeding the customer’s expectations while ensuring operational reliability.
Future Prospects: Scaling Up with Advanced Safety
Allye plans to scale their Battery Energy Storage Solutions globally, 
and the enhanced level of safety provided by Metis Engineering plays a pivotal role. The data-driven insights provided by Cell Guard will enable Allye to optimise system designs further, enhance safety protocols, and deliver unmatched value to customers.
By integrating Metis Engineering’s Cell Guard with Accelerometer into its second-life static energy storage systems, Allye has set a new standard in battery safety and operational excellence. This partnership highlights the transformative impact of advanced sensor technology in addressing safety challenges, optimising performance, and driving sustainability in the energy storage sector.
Allye’s success demonstrates how innovative solutions like Cell Guard are enabling companies to overcome industry challenges and achieve its goals of safer, more efficient, and sustainable energy storage systems. Together, Allye and Metis Engineering are shaping the future of renewable energy storage, one safe and efficient battery system at a time.
