Energy Storage

A New, Low-Cost Aluminum-Sulfur Battery

MIT researchers have developed a new kind of battery, made entirely from abundant, inexpensive materials.

Glassy Electrolyte Holds Promise for an All-Solid-State Sodium Battery

Lithium-ion batteries are currently the preferred technology for powering electric vehicles, but they’re too expensive for long-duration grid-scale energy storage systems.

Designing Sodium-Ion Batteries with Extended Longevity

In batteries, electrolyte is the circulating “blood” that keeps the energy flowing. The electrolyte forms by dissolving salts in solvents, resulting in charged ions that flow between the positive and negative electrodes.

Building Temperature-Resilient Batteries

In tests, the proof-of-concept batteries retained 87.5 percent and 115.9 percent of their energy capacity at -40 °C and 50 °C (-40 °F and 122 °F), respectively.

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An Alternative to Lithium-Ion Batteries

Have we found a better alternative to lithium-ion batteries?

Piezoelectric Material Remains Effective at High Temperatures

The material remains effective as an energy harvester or sensor at temperatures to well above 572°F.

Photovoltaic Cell Increases Nighttime Power Generation

The device uses a thermoelectric module to generate voltage and current from the temperature gradient between the cell and the air.

Maximizing the Performance of Battery Cells for Better Energy Storage

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is leading the development of new lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery designs specific to the stationary storage requirements.

Advancing Renewable Energy Production with Solar Thermochemical Hydrogen

Hydrogen has emerged as an important carrier to store energy generated by renewable resources, as a substitute for fossil fuels used for transportation, in the production of ammonia, and for other industrial applications.

Products of Tomorrow: July 2022

This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that...

Predict Battery Lifetimes with Machine Learning

In a new study, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory have turned to machine learning to predict the lifetimes of a wide range of different...

New Products: May 2022 Battery & Electrification Technology

Battery Management Solution

InnovationLab (Heidelberg, Germany) has launched BaMoS, its battery monitoring solution for automotive applications. BaMoS uses ultra-thin printed...

New Material Offers Promise for Solid-State Batteries

Researchers from the University of Waterloo, Canada, who are members of the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR), headquartered at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)...

'Floating Sensors' Spread Like Dandelion Seeds

Dropped by a drone, the battery-free devices hover 100 meters in the air.

Princeton Plasma Physics Lab

Established in 1961, PPPL's primary mission is research into and development of fusion as an energy source.

Technique Heals Dendrites in Solid-State Batteries

The method enhances the battery's safety while it is being used, without opening the battery cell.

Portable, Renewable Energy Technology

Pyroelectric energy generates energy from heat that would otherwise be wasted in a catalytic chemical reaction.

Stable, Efficient, Anode-Free Sodium Battery

The battery is smaller than a traditional lithium-ion battery due to the elimination of dendrites.

Anode Material for Safer Fast-Charging Batteries

The material enables lithium-ion batteries to be safely recharged within minutes for thousands of cycles.

Wearable Microgrid Harvests and Stores Energy from the Human Body

The flexible, washable microgrid uses the human body to sustainably power small electronics.

How to Clear Dust from Solar Panels (Without All the Water)

An MIT team has a water-free way to charge up dust on solar panels and repel it away.

Is it Possible to Predict Car Battery Life?

A reader asks how to check the longevity and capacity of vehicle batteries.

Sustainable Energy using “Information Batteries”

Renewable energy has an intermittency problem — the sun provides no power at night, while winds can stop suddenly.