SLH Magnetic Material: The Secret to Efficient Grid-Scale Energy Storage

Grid-scale energy storage is the backbone of a renewable energy future—it stores excess solar and wind power for when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. But the efficiency of these storage systems depends on inductors, which regulate the flow of electricity. The magnetic material in these inductors must minimize energy loss, and SLH’s High Purity Iron-based magnetic material has become the industry’s top choice for this critical role.

Inductors in grid-scale storage face a unique challenge: they must handle high current (up to 1,000A) and variable frequencies (50–1,000Hz) without overheating. Traditional magnetic materials like ferrite or silicon steel struggle here: ferrite has high core loss at high frequencies, while silicon steel saturates (loses magnetic ability) at lower currents. SLH’s magnetic material—made from 99.9% high purity iron—solves both problems.

At 1kHz (a common frequency for pulse charging in storage systems), SLH’s magnetic material has a core loss of just 2 W/kg, compared to 10 W/kg for silicon steel and 50 W/kg for ferrite. This low loss means the inductor generates less heat, so the storage system can operate at full capacity for longer without cooling downtime. A U.S.-based storage developer used SLH’s material in their 50MW battery system and saw the system’s charge/discharge efficiency jump from 88% to 94%. This 6% increase translates to 3MW more usable energy per system—enough to power 20,000 homes during peak demand.

SLH’s magnetic material also has a high saturation 磁感应 strength of 1.95T, which means it can handle 1,000A currents without saturating. Silicon steel, by contrast, saturates at 1.8T, which would cause the inductor to fail at high currents. This extra headroom makes SLH’s material ideal for large-scale systems, which often experience sudden current spikes.

Size is another advantage. Grid-scale storage systems are often installed in limited space (like repurposed industrial sites), so compact components are key. SLH’s magnetic material has a high permeability (5,500 mH/m at 50Hz), which allows manufacturers to make inductors 30% smaller than those using silicon steel. The U.S. developer used this to reduce inductor size from 12 cubic meters to 8.4 cubic meters, fitting 25% more inductors in the same space and increasing the system’s total storage capacity.

Cost is also a factor. Amorphous metal—another low-loss magnetic material—costs 3x more than SLH’s High Purity Iron-based material. The developer calculated that using SLH saved them $1.2 million in inductor costs for a single 50MW system.

As the world transitions to more renewable energy, grid-scale storage will become increasingly important. SLH’s magnetic material delivers the efficiency, durability, and cost-effectiveness needed to make these systems viable—and accelerate the shift away from fossil fuels.