Batteries are the standout technology enabling the build-out of renewable energy. They do not make electricity, but when paired with solar and wind they free us from wires and fuel, and they are moving from powering our devices to powering vehicles, homes and entire grids. Costs have fallen about 97% over the past 20 years, following Wright’s Law, where each doubling of production cuts cost by up to 15%.
Our posts follow the technology on every front: lithium-ion improvements, silicon anodes, sodium-ion cells launched in China, solid state announcements and the long record of Toyota’s solid state delays, plus iron-air, liquid metal, flow, nickel-hydrogen and even gravity and compressed air storage. Others cover 15-minute charging, million-kilometre and 1000-mile batteries, and research suggesting batteries can last 40 years.
The bigger story is what batteries do to the grid. Posts show grid-scale and home batteries growing rapidly, community batteries on power poles, and how storage turns electricity from baseload into dispatchable power. A recent post explains how more storage, held back for the worst moments, could cut wholesale electricity costs by 20%. Pumped hydro and Queensland proposals are covered too. Start here to see why batteries are ending the fossil fuel era in transport and power.
Batteries are the standout technology enabling the build-out of renewable energy. They do not make electricity, but when paired with solar and wind they free us from wires and fuel, and they are moving from powering our devices to powering vehicles, homes and entire grids. Costs have fallen about 97% over the past 20 years, following Wright’s Law, where each doubling of production cuts cost by up to 15%.
Our posts follow the technology on every front: lithium-ion improvements, silicon anodes, sodium-ion cells launched in China, solid state announcements and the long record of Toyota’s solid state delays, plus iron-air, liquid metal, flow, nickel-hydrogen and even gravity and compressed air storage. Others cover 15-minute charging, million-kilometre and 1000-mile batteries, and research suggesting batteries can last 40 years.
The bigger story is what batteries do to the grid. Posts show grid-scale and home batteries growing rapidly, community batteries on power poles, and how storage turns electricity from baseload into dispatchable power. A recent post explains how more storage, held back for the worst moments, could cut wholesale electricity costs by 20%. Pumped hydro and Queensland proposals are covered too. Start here to see why batteries are ending the fossil fuel era in transport and power.
Flow batteries are a valid option for community and grid based storage. The advantages of low life, simple expansion works. Vanadium, iron, or zinc bromine based flow batteries will not be used in vehicles but deliver great grid and micro grid storage battery solutions.
It is becoming clear that batteries will drive the electrification of transport. Batteries are demonstrating that hydrogen and synthetic fuels are losing ground to the 22% learning curve of batteries. Biofuels may be the only transition fuel for long range aircraft.
Grid-scale batteries are an integral requirement to firm renewable energy, stabililise the grid with battery, wind and solar now the cheapest electricity.
Using a long lasting LFP battery in combination with an anode free battery with shorter lifespan is the approach taken by Our Next Energy. Like a petrol battery hybrid, the combination provides 1000 km of range, and long life.
Tesla has led innovation into grid, industrial and home storage with their range of batteries. The lines are blurred with home batteries now providing grid virtual power plant services.
Batteries made from CO2 compression and expansion have moved from lab to deployment. Offering low cost, longer term storage utilising standard equipment.
Direct lithium extraction is used in land based brines by a number of companies, but the vision is that the ocean has huge quantities, or could be extracted as part of desalination.
The total battery capacity for grid home and transportation is about 300TWh of batteries. This will take 10 years of manufacturing and ongoing of about 30TWh per year. Tesla aims to provide 10% of that battery capacity.
CATL announcement of their Qilin battery pack to be in production by 2023 exceeds Tesla’s 4680 battery and both exceed all other global batteries
Electrical management systems have evolved from their large diesel engine power plant buinsess. They have flexible energ
