Press Releases

Former First Solar CEO Jim Hughes joins Eos Energy Storage as Chairman of the Board

Published by

New York, NY, November 15, 2016 – Eos Energy Storage (“Eos”) – pioneer of the safe, ultra-low cost Znyth® battery – today announced that Jim Hughes, former CEO of First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR), has joined as Chairman of the Board to guide the company’s transition from technology development to commercial manufacturing and product deployment. The wealth of knowledge and experience Hughes brings from his time at the helm of First Solar – a pivotal player in the creation of utility-scale solar energy – will be invaluable during this important stage in Eos’ growth.

The appointment of Hughes as Chairman of the Board comes on the heels of the company’s announcement of a $23M Series D equity financing and commencement of volume battery production with a multi-billion dollar contract manufacturing partner capable of meeting 100+ MW per year demand.

“The tremendous progress made on cost over the last several years leaves energy storage looking remarkably similar to the solar industry around 5 years ago,” observed Jim Hughes. “The cost reductions have been so rapid that I don’t think the broader energy industry yet recognizes the value it will represent as part of the system and that the economics of energy storage are not only competitive but have the near term potential to be disruptive.  Eos has focused on developing a technology and product that outcompetes the lithium ion incumbent, not just on dollar per kWh upfront capital cost but on the lifetime cost of energy delivered.  This is going to give Eos the ability to win significant market share and drive profitability. A sharp focus on cost, quality and challenging yourself to beat the toughest competition has proven to be a winning strategy time and again both in traditional energy and renewables.  Much as First Solar has proven that it can compete effectively with its differentiated thin-film solar photovoltaic (PV) modules against the leading players in crystalline silicon PV, I firmly believe Eos will demonstrate the same ability within the energy storage arena with its differentiated zinc hybrid (Znyth™) technology.”

During his four years as CEO of First Solar, Hughes managed the company from a $450M loss in the first quarter of 2012 to a $171M profit in the first quarter of 2016. Also during that time, the company set new records for solar cell efficiency, made fundamental changes to power plant architecture, continued to drive down solar costs, and expanded module manufacturing to support an industry-leading over 13GW installed base.

Eos is poised to make a similar impact with safe, robust and cost effective energy storage on the grid. The company’s core product—the Eos Aurora® 1000│4000—is a 1MW|4MWh DC battery system employing Eos’ aqueous, zinc-based Znyth technology. The Eos Aurora is being sold today at $160 per usable kWh with performance guarantees supporting up to 20 years of continuous operation with minimal maintenance. For the first time, Eos batteries are offering utilities an economic alternative to gas-peakers and conventional distribution system upgrades.

“We are honored to work with Jim Hughes,” said Eos CEO Michael Oster.  “We have watched Jim take First Solar through market uncertainty to global leadership and profitability; We look forward to benefiting from his guidance and experience as we ramp up into volume manufacturing and utility-scale deployment.”

Eos has partnered with utilities such as Con Edison of New York, Engie, and Pacific Gas & Electric to test and validate product while preparing for larger-scale deployments. In late 2015, Eos batteries were selected for a 10MW|40MWh project with Pacific Gas & Electric to provide locational capacity and grid reliability. Eos is now working through a pipeline of qualified inquiries of over $5B from customers on six continents.

####

Media Contact:

Philippe Bouchard

pbouchard@eosenergystorage.com

1.212.628.7191

www.eosenergystorage.com

Share
Published by

Recent Posts

Australia’s biggest coal state breaks new ground in wind and solar output

New South Wales has reached two remarkable renewable energy milestones that signal the growing contribution…

6 January 2025

New Year begins with more solar records, as PV takes bigger bite out of coal’s holiday lunch

As 2025 begins, Victoria is already making its mark on the energy landscape with a…

3 January 2025

What comes after microgrids? Energy parks based around wind, solar and storage

Co-locating renewable generation, load and storage offers substantial benefits, particularly for manufacturing facilities and data…

31 December 2024

This talk of nuclear is a waste of time: Wind, solar and firming can clearly do the job

Australia’s economic future would be at risk if we stop wind and solar to build…

30 December 2024

Build it and they will come: Transmission is key, but LNP make it harder and costlier

Transmission remains the fundamental building block to decarbonising the grid. But the LNP is making…

23 December 2024

Snowy Hunter gas project hit by more delays and blowouts, with total cost now more than $2 billion

Snowy blames bad weather for yet more delays to controversial Hunter gas project, now expected…

23 December 2024