A new high-performance 'aluminum-ion' battery could be the technical breakthrough needed to boost the renewable energy takeover. It's safe, uses abundant low-cost materials, recharges in one minute and withstands many thousands of recharge cycles.
If this new battery lives up to expectations, it could propel a whole new chapter in the renewable takeover of the world's energy supply.
Stanford University scientists have invented the first high-performance aluminum battery that's fast-charging, long-lasting, inexpensive - and safe.
A new high-performance 'aluminum-ion' battery could be the technical breakthrough needed to boost the renewable energy takeover. It's safe, uses abundant low-cost materials, recharges in one minute and withstands many thousands of recharge cycles.
If this new battery lives up to expectations, it could propel a whole new chapter in the renewable takeover of the world's energy supply.
Stanford University scientists have invented the first high-performance aluminum battery that's fast-charging, long-lasting, inexpensive - and safe.
Its inventors including Hongjie Dai, professor of chemistry at Stanford, believe it could replace other battery technologies in a wide of applications from electic cars to storing power from solar panels to keep homes powered at night, and stabilising the power grid.
All these uses will help to drive the renewable energy revolution that's already under way, as variable power sources like wind and solar replace fossil fuel generation year by year.
As higher proportions of variable output renewables come onto the grid, it's increasingly imporant to store electricity surpluses efficiently so they can be used when needed to meet demand, and displace even more energy from fossil fuels.
Aluminum ion battery image via Shutterstock.
Read more at ENN Affiliate the Ecologist.
