ACCESS your potential

Stored energy gives the world revolutionary potential —the potential to be energy secure; the potential to create highly resilient electrical grids; and the potential to address global climate disruption through increased adoption of renewable energy and electric vehicles.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory has built itself into one of the key global centers of this revolution. Decades of cutting-edge research has yielded breakthroughs in multiple generations of energy storage.

Now the question becomes how to maximize the benefits of that research by helping industry translate these types of scientific discoveries into products that can impact people’s daily lives.

The Argonne Collaborative Center for Energy Storage Science (ACCESS) is a powerful collective of scientists and engineers from across Argonne who solve energy storage problems through multidisciplinary research. ACCESS is the key that unlocks the potential of energy storage, helping public and private-sector customers turn science into solutions.

Access One-of-a-Kind Facilities

Firms of more than 10,000 employees now account for just half of company-funded domestic R&D, so investment in fundamental research often falls on the shoulders of small- and medium-sized-businesses. This responsibility for early-stage research means small firms need access to the type of resources that can only be found at leading scientific institutions in order to fulfill the promise of American innovation. ACCESS meets this demand with a wealth of resources including state-of-the-art facilities to support energy storage progress.

• Materials Engineering Research (MERF)
• Cell Analysis, Modeling and Prototyping (CAMP)
• Electrochemical Analysis and Diagnostics Laboratory (EADL)
• Post-Test Facility

Access Proven Capabilities

Argonne has demonstrated achievement in meeting a spectrum of energy storage challenges. The laboratory has amassed a portfolio of more than 125 patented advanced cathode, anode, electrolyte, and additive components for lithium-ion, lithium-air, lithium-sulfur, sodium-ion, and flow batteries.

Licensing agreements—with leading companies including General Motors, BASF, LG Chem, General Electric, and Toda America—to mass produce Argonne’s patented materials for advanced batteries have led to the construction of new plants and the creation of jobs in the United States.

• Helping from the Ground Up
• Electrifying the Automotive Market
• Fueling the Economy

Access A Competitive Advantage

Today’s changing business climate has led companies to devote additional research dollars to product development, with a reduced focus on basic science research. By developing tailored teams of experienced researchers collaborating in one-of-a-kind facilities, ACCESS offers companies an affordable, manageable alternative to increase their stake in scientific discovery.