Eco Factor: Batteries capable of storing over 20KWh of electricity being developed.
You may be possessing the world’s largest rooftop solar array, but all that energy is no good until you possess the world’s largest battery bank as well, which can store all that power and give it some purpose. The amount of energy generated from renewable sources is on a rise, but the conventional battery technology isn’t keeping up the same pace, at least not at the same cost. Researchers in Utah-based Ceramatec have found an answer in a disc-shaped battery that can store up to 20KWh of power – enough to power an average home for most of the day.
This new battery technology works on a sodium-sulfur composition. Earlier researches on the same materials didn’t prove to be fruitful as the system works at temperatures greater than 600F. Ceramatec’s new battery uses a thin ceramic membrane that is sandwiched between the sodium layer and the sulfur layer. This addition enables the battery to function at temperatures less than 200F.
Sodium-sulfur is more energetic than lead-acid and is extremely valuable in storing renewable energy from solar or wind generators. The company is claiming that the batteries should be available on the market by 2011 and should retail for about $2000.
Via: PopularMechanics
