SimpliPhi Power’s CEO & President Catherine Von Burg was recently invited to attend the Clinton Global Initiative’s event, Making Matter Matter: Supply Chain and Materials Innovation for a Regenerative Economy. The event was held at Hewlett-Packard’s headquarters in Palo Alto, California.

Von Burg joined in discussions about pre-competitive supply chain solutions, product and business model innovation, valuation of material inputs, inclusive and scale-appropriate opportunities and designing for flexibility and renewal. Attendees also examined how the companies and organizations that make the world’s products can collectively advance circular, regenerative models and techniques for manufacturing, consumption and reuse.

“One of the main takeaways from the discussions was this idea that a sustainable supply chain and cradle to grave products really start with the designers,” recalled Von Burg. “Choices designers make at the drafting table have significant implications for how sustainable your supply chain can be over the life of the product, from extraction of raw materials to the distribution network across markets . Including the concept of supply chain responsibility early in the design process is something all companies should be executing.”

SimpliPhi Power’s choice to use the most environmentally benign lithium ion chemistry available in the market, Lithium Ferro Phosphate (LFP), instead of the lithium cobalt-based chemistries (NMC and others), is one example of designing sustainability into products from the beginning. The LFP technology allows the company to offer batteries that have less of an environmental impact, from extraction to recycling.

“Cobalt is a toxic and thermally unstable element and as such increases costs along the entire supply chain,” says Von Burg. “The environmental and human health impact raises the costs of using cobalt as well; from mining practices, additional materials that must be utilized to mitigate the thermal profile and potential for thermal runaway (liquid polymers & ancillary AC equipment) and finally the added precautions required in the recycling and ultimate landfill of the toxic material.”

In addition, SimpliPhi batteries that can offer 10,000 cycles with an efficiency rate of 98 percent and deep cycling means there is a higher output capacity of available kWh per pound and square foot. This translates into a more efficient utilization of materials per unit of energy over time (LCOE).

Catherine Von Burg above is sitting at the desk of William Hewlett of Hewlett-Packard Co. at the Clinton Global Initiative event. The company preserved the original offices of the two founders as a celebration of true entrepreneurs who start with an idea as their only resource, though the first ‘office’ was in their garage.

SimpliPhi Power too had such humble beginnings in the garage of our founder Stuart Lennox and honors the legacy that Hewlett-Packard began so many years ago and continues to carry forward into the future.

SimpliPhi Power applauds both Hewlett-Packard and the Clinton Global Initiative for examining the global impact of resource acquisition and supply chain, and for convening industry leaders to generate a discussion and practical solutions to, “Making Matter Matter.”