ZBB Energy Lands Its Biggest Contract Yet; Order Totals $2.6 Million

By JOHN SCHMID

ZBB Energy Corp., which builds high-storage batteries in Menomonee Falls that are in demand from alternative-energy producers, on Monday announced its biggest contract to date: a $2.6 million order from the Australian federal government.

Australia will build a large demonstration facility that will use the batteries to store energy generated from wind and solar power.

ZBB was founded in Australia in 1982 before moving its headquarters to Wisconsin after its 1994 acquisition of the Johnson Controls Inc. advanced battery division.

It maintains a sales and research-and-development office in Australia.

Previously, ZBB’s largest contract was a $1.8 million order from the California Energy Commission that was awarded last year.

After the announcement Monday, ZBB shares closed up 14 cents at $5.30.

ZBB stands for zinc-bromine batteries, which took more than a decade for ZBB to develop.

Producers of wind or solar energy store the electricity in the ZBB batteries until users discharge the stored energy.

The company didn’t begin selling them until 2004, but has been expanding recently.

It finished an initial public offering on the American Stock Exchange in June, and it aims to invest a portion of the $20 million to expand production capacity at its Menomonee Falls facility, said Steve Seeker, the company’s chief operating officer.

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