By: Khadija Nadeem
Battery technology may not sound as exciting as space rockets or self-driving cars, but bigger, better batteries are the key to using renewable energy. Unlike fossil fuels which release greenhouse gases, Renewable Energy is cleaner, helping to prevent climate change. But power plants burning fossil fuels have one big advantage. They produce electricity 24/7. If you think about it, solar panels only collect energy during the day, wind turbines only spin when the wind blows. To shift to renewable energy, we need a way to store excess energy until we need it.
For the past 25 years, the industry has been focused on Lithium-Ion (Li-On) batteries which are great for cellphones and computers. But Li-On batteries don’t hold charge very long and have a short lifespan. Worst of all if they surpass maximum capacity then it can overheat or explode. They are also very expensive. So, scientists around the world have been racing to design a better battery. One that is inexpensive, practical and can provide grid-scale energy storage. A type of battery pack looks like a tub of saltwater. It’s made from salt, stainless steel and cotton which are all cheap, non-toxic and abundant. Hydrogen fuel cells could also be promising if developers can bring the high costs down.
Scientists keep searching for new and exciting ways to store energy. This emerging field is attracting more and more interest in students. Maybe batteries aren’t so dull at all.
