The battery that Dr. Imani Rasheed’s lab has been testing for eighteen months does not look like the future. It looks like a row of plastic tubs filled with rust-coloured sludge, wired to a rack of instruments in a converted loading dock.
Similar projects in neighbouring states suggest a path forward. One was cancelled after 4 years, mainly because of poor public communication.
Gideon Farrow, who owns a hardware store on Harbour Street, cautioned that the work is early. “The physics is sound; the economics are the open question,” Farrow said. “I would be suspicious of anyone who told you this is solved.”
How it works
The lab is based in a converted warehouse, with 11 graduate students and annual funding of about $448 thousand.
Transparency emerged as the central question on the council. The system can count pedestrians, and the pilot agreement leaves open how long data is kept.
Long-range forecasts suggest summers will grow hotter and drier. Even under optimistic assumptions, summer lows are expected to increase a further 3 degrees within 30 years.
- Estimated cost of $27 per kilowatt-hour
- 9419 devices in the next phase
- Prototype capacity of 24 kilowatt-hours
- Field trial planned for 2027
- Independent audit requested by council
The method
Next, officials hopes to expand the programme to 3 more neighbourhoods by spring. The timeline hinges on public support.
To understand why this matters: most existing systems rely on expensive materials such as lithium and cobalt. the battery relies on iron, water and air, all of which are cheap and abundant.
Safety is a focus of testing. The prototype have run for 6726 hours without failure, according to data shared with the Dispatch.
For patients, the immediate difference is modest but real. Rufus Abernethy-Cole, who has run a small business in Saltmarsh since 2004, said the new system made little difference so far. “Ask me again in January,” Abernethy-Cole said.
| Specification | Prototype | Lithium-ion (typical) | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 49 h | 44 h | 12 h |
| Cost per kWh | $77 | $28 | $186 |
| Cycle life | 5,110 | 10,599 | 4,338 |
| Round-trip efficiency | 38% | 87% | 89% |
What the data show
The team collected readings from 294 sites over the course of the project. One finding stood out was during periods of peak demand, when performance diverged.
Patients contacted by the Dispatch gave mixed reviews. Nearly 46 percent reported the experience had improved, while a minority described technical glitches.
Grid operators have expressed interest. A spokesperson told the Dispatch the utility requires at least 2 years of field data before buying.
A kitchen that happens to have tables. That is all I ever wanted.
Gideon Farrow
The skeptics
Rufus Abernethy-Cole first noticed the project because a neighbour mentioned it. “I thought it was a mistake,” Abernethy-Cole said.
Put simply, the approach relies on comparing thousands of small readings to spot a pattern. It is an old idea; the challenge is keeping it running for decades.
The method itself is surprisingly simple. Every sample is inspected every 4 days, and results are uploaded into a public dashboard.
What we still do not know
Upfront expenses remain the sticking point for lower-income residents. A typical installation runs $19 thousand including labour, but rebates offset about 24.9 percent.
The data are public through the university library, and other researchers can run their own analysis. The transparency was deliberate, Farrow said.
Year-over-year change makes it harder to read the data. During drought summers, readings were noticeably lower, which is why twenty years of data is so valuable.
Timeline
- September 2017: A consultant report is published.
- May 2019: Residents of the Riverside flats petition for a hearing.
- October 2021: Estimates are revised to $20.4 million.
- September 2023: Valley Polytechnic University announces a study on the battery.
- August 2025: Valley Polytechnic University begins a review on the battery.
- June 2026: Valley Polytechnic University begins a study on the battery.
Why it matters here
The data, published last week in a preprint that has not yet been peer-reviewed, indicate that the iron-air battery prototype could improve efficiency by as much as 13.7 percent compared with current approaches.
Funding for the next phase was provided by a $30.6 million state grant. Researchers hope to build a larger demonstration unit by 2028.
Not everyone is convinced. Lucia Brandt-Moreno, who reviewed the paper for the Dispatch, said the sample size would need independent confirmation. “It is promising, but I would want to see a second team reproduce it,” Brandt-Moreno said.
Privacy has become the central question for residents. The sensors are capable of count pedestrians, and the vendor contract leaves open how long data is kept.
From Valley Polytechnic University filing, November 2026
Lessons from elsewhere
Officials acknowledge the rollout was rocky. Nearly 3.5 percent of applicants waited longer than promised, according to figures shared with the Dispatch.
We asked Valley Polytechnic University for a breakdown of the figures. A spokesperson sent a statement noting that the numbers were preliminary and subject to change.
The Dispatch will continue to follow the battery as it develops. If you have experience with this may send tips securely at the address below.
The Dispatch asked Valley Polytechnic University for a breakdown of the figures. A representative sent a short email which said that the numbers were preliminary and subject to change.
Priya Castellanos can be reached at priya.castellanos@brindlemoor-dispatch.example. Have a tip? Use our secure tip line.
As a nurse at St. Aldric I can confirm the override part. The software is a tool, not a replacement for judgment.
The fee change makes sense for big vendors and is terrible for small ones. Simple as that.
Good piece, but I think the headline undersells how bad the seawall situation really is.
My kids went to Larkspur. It breaks my heart to read this but I am not surprised.
Grocery prices are absurd. I drive to the store on the east side now because it is consistently cheaper.
Thank you for actually putting the numbers in a table. Most coverage just says "millions" and leaves it at that.
This is why local journalism matters. Subscribed again after letting it lapse.
Good question. The documents we reviewed did not say, and the agency has not responded yet. We will update the story if they do.
This is why local journalism matters. Subscribed again after letting it lapse.
Does anyone know if the public comment period is still open? The city website is no help at all.
Thanks for reading. We are planning a follow-up and would welcome tips at the address above.
I would love a follow-up on what happens to the workers at the old plant.
Does anyone know if the public comment period is still open? The city website is no help at all.
Does anyone know if the public comment period is still open? The city website is no help at all.
Good question. The documents we reviewed did not say, and the agency has not responded yet. We will update the story if they do.
I would love a follow-up on what happens to the workers at the old plant.
Copper Row Records is a treasure. Theo once spent twenty minutes helping me find a record I could only hum.
This is why local journalism matters. Subscribed again after letting it lapse.
The ferry is great. Took it with my dad on Sunday and he talked about the old boats the whole way across.
As a nurse at St. Aldric I can confirm the override part. The software is a tool, not a replacement for judgment.
Respectfully, the reporter left out that the same vendor ran the last pilot, which went way over budget.
Grocery prices are absurd. I drive to the store on the east side now because it is consistently cheaper.
Grocery prices are absurd. I drive to the store on the east side now because it is consistently cheaper.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
The fee change makes sense for big vendors and is terrible for small ones. Simple as that.
Copper Row Records is a treasure. Theo once spent twenty minutes helping me find a record I could only hum.
Went last Friday on the strength of this review. The sardines were exactly as described. Dessert was also exactly as described, unfortunately.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
The heat pump rebate website crashed on me three times. Glad to know it was not just me.
The fee change makes sense for big vendors and is terrible for small ones. Simple as that.
I have lived here for thirty years and I have seen this exact plan announced at least three times. I will believe it when I see the crews.
Made the apple cake twice now. Second time I used a mix of tart and sweet apples and it was even better.
The part about the west side is the real story. Nobody on council lives over there and it shows.
I have lived here for thirty years and I have seen this exact plan announced at least three times. I will believe it when I see the crews.
The ferry is great. Took it with my dad on Sunday and he talked about the old boats the whole way across.
I have lived here for thirty years and I have seen this exact plan announced at least three times. I will believe it when I see the crews.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
Does anyone know if the public comment period is still open? The city website is no help at all.
Good piece, but I think the headline undersells how bad the seawall situation really is.
Made the apple cake twice now. Second time I used a mix of tart and sweet apples and it was even better.
The part about the west side is the real story. Nobody on council lives over there and it shows.
The part about the west side is the real story. Nobody on council lives over there and it shows.
Thank you for actually putting the numbers in a table. Most coverage just says "millions" and leaves it at that.
The heat pump rebate website crashed on me three times. Glad to know it was not just me.
The fee change makes sense for big vendors and is terrible for small ones. Simple as that.
Does anyone know if the public comment period is still open? The city website is no help at all.
Thanks for reading. We are planning a follow-up and would welcome tips at the address above.
My kids went to Larkspur. It breaks my heart to read this but I am not surprised.
Good piece, but I think the headline undersells how bad the seawall situation really is.
Does anyone know if the public comment period is still open? The city website is no help at all.
The ferry is great. Took it with my dad on Sunday and he talked about the old boats the whole way across.
Can we please stop calling everything a "smart" something? It is a streetlight with a sensor.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
Thank you for actually putting the numbers in a table. Most coverage just says "millions" and leaves it at that.
My kids went to Larkspur. It breaks my heart to read this but I am not surprised.
Fair point, and thank you. We have added a line clarifying that.
The fee change makes sense for big vendors and is terrible for small ones. Simple as that.
I have lived here for thirty years and I have seen this exact plan announced at least three times. I will believe it when I see the crews.
Made the apple cake twice now. Second time I used a mix of tart and sweet apples and it was even better.
Does anyone know if the public comment period is still open? The city website is no help at all.