Solar panels and their batteries are becoming increasingly popular in regions with abundant sunshine. But homeowners are also aware these have limited lifespans, and are keen to know more about extending their value. Today we’ll explain how to stretch your home solar battery life by adapting how you charge it. Although the time will still [...] The post Stretch Your Home Solar Battery Lifespan appeared first on News about Energy Storage, Batteries, Climate Change and the Environment ..read more

Silicates are natural minerals containing silicon and oxygen, linked together in several patterns. Some 95% of Earth’s crust comprises silicate minerals, alumina-silicate clays, or silica according to BYJUS website. A Technical University of Denmark team is investigating batteries made from rock silicates. From what we hear they have a runner! Potassium Silicate Batteries From Common [...] The post Batteries Made From Rock Silicates appeared first on News about Energy Storage, Batteries, Climate Change and the Environment ..read more

Using organic materials to produce life-sustaining support systems is becoming increasingly important. Here we think especially of battery materials, and the general health of the ecosystem. Many of us are concerned about the potential impact of deep-sea mining. Especially now we know this includes removing battery-like nodules from the ocean floor that produce oxygen. What And Where Are These Battery-Like Nodules? About half the oxygen we breathe comes from the ocean. Conventional wisdom holds this comes from marine plants, synthesizing the life-giving gas from sunlight, water and carbon. But ..read more

The Gemini solar battery energy storage system (BESS) is on line in Nevada. This territory in the western United States has a hot dry climate, making it ideal for a project of this kind. The designers had to chose between AC or DC coupling solar batteries. They chose DC-coupled architecture because it charges the BESS directly from the solar panels. This bypasses one inverter avoiding some energy loss. What’s the Difference Between AC and DC Coupling? AC-coupled and DC-coupled solar systems convert their electricity from AC to DC and vice versa. The choice between these options depends on how ..read more

There appears to be no longer any doubt that sodium-ion technology could upend the global battery industry. The Conversation has added its voice to the chorus predicting an imminent sodium-ion battery revolution. We review all the facts at our disposal, and reach the same conclusion. We Must Have Safe, Affordable Battery Storage Renewable energy has become a non-negotiable weapon in the struggle against global warming. But wind and solar are variable, unpredictable, and capricious. Therefore, we need to store their energy when it is available, so we can draw it around the clock as it suits us ..read more

Image of Electric Eel Anatomy The first detail shows stacks of electrocytes forming electric organs. The second detail shows an individual cell with ion channels.These pump through the cell membrane as a nerve cell’s terminal buttons release neurotransmitters to trigger electrical activity. The final detail shows coiled protein chains of an ion channel. The  Year 1880, Alessandro Volta And Electric Fishes When Alessandro Volta built his galvanic pile in 1880, he may have thought he was inventing electricity. However, he was only creating a new source, because the energy had always been th ..read more

India accounts for 17.8% of the global population, yet it only has 0.1% of the world’s battery storage. Elsewhere, we hear this most populous nation is heavily reliant on China for batteries. This could become a strategic loophole in future. But batteries are in the news again in India, as it plays catch up with storage. Batteries in the News for Renewable Storage ABC News reports that very few significant users currently rely on renewables and storage batteries in India. However, the battery contribution is growing, with a third of it coming on line during 2024. One supplier claims, “Our orde ..read more

After we fit a lithium-ion battery in a device, we can still be largely in the dark about how it works. Sure, the device comes on if the battery has a charge, and there’s no sign of anything overheating. But we may have no idea how the battery actually powers the device. No worries, most folk don’t understand the mysteries of lithium-ion batteries either, so you are not alone. Let’s Unpack the Mysteries of Lithium-Ion Batteries Together Most lithium-ion batteries have a positive metal-oxide electrode where they store their energy in the forms of ions. These are atoms which carry ..read more

Eels have long, continuous fins along their backs, that stretch from their necks all the way to their tails. They swim by using these fins to generate waves traveling the length of their bodies. If they reverse the direction of the waves, then they can swim backwards. Scientists at University of Cambridge, England developed soft stretchy jelly batteries from inspiration they gained from eels. So The Soft Stretchy Jelly Batteries Behave Like Eels? No not exactly, although there is a slight resemblance. Eels, and other electric fish stun their prey using modified muscle cells called electrocytes ..read more

Folk often write in and thank us for sharing our world of batteries and the latest trends. We do so because we love our batteries, and what they do for us. Today we single out three big reasons that have kept us going for a decade and counting. So drum roll please for all the batteries combating climate change, while they do what they do so well. Three Reasons Why We Love Our Batteries (And Keep Writing) We Can Use Batteries (Almost) Anywhere We Go We love our batteries because we can use them almost everywhere we go, all things being equal. They are also hugely adaptable in terms of size, sha ..read more