One word for the future: Plastics, Storage.
There is a classic scene in the movie The Graduate, when Mr. McGuire a distinguished family friend gives recent college grad Dustin Hoffman some unsolicited advice – go into ‘plastics’. [Video clip] His visions of the future were driven by the promise of the nascent plastics industry. The man missed ‘computers’, be wasn’t entirely wrong as plastics have changed the world in very profound ways.
Today, Mr McGuire might say go into ‘energy storage’ to a recent college grad. ‘Don’t just focus on energy production, look at how energy storage can change business models for renewables, utility grids, electric vehicles and bringing power to billions of people who don’t currently have access to energy grids.’
Why energy storage? Because energy from wind and solar farms goes wasted when they are unable to find use on one-way utility grid wires that have no storage along the way. Electric vehicles find it difficult to dethrone the combustion engine without high density storage systems that match the power of gasoline. And national electricity grids are vulnerable to power outages caused by breaking the stream of electricity flowing from power plant to wall socket.
Storage is going to have a tough time competing for headlines against climate change, peak oil and clean coal, but it is one of the most disruptive pieces of the future energy puzzle.
Globalization of Energy Storage sector
Like all other energy markets, energy storage will likely be very integrated and global across the value chain of raw material providers, manufacturers, designers and product integrators. But will also be a highly competitive few years as regions try to position themselves for growth in batteries, fuel cells and capacitors.
Now Indiana-based Ener1 has acquired an 83% interest in Enertech International, one of South Korea’s leading lithium-ion battery cell producers. The stake will allow Ener1 to expand manufacturing capacity of its lithium-ion automotive battery subsidiary, EnerDel as automakers around the world prepare to launch electric vehicles, and position the company for expanding storage to utility grids of tomorrow.
“Enertech is one of the largest lithium-ion battery producers in Korea, behind only LG Chemical and Samsung,” said Ener1 CEO Charles Gassenheimer. “This acquisition gives us immediate scale and volume manufacturing ability, as well as an important beachhead for supplying Asian car makers that plan to use lithium-ion technology in their electric drive vehicles.”
We have covered stories of Warren Buffet’s $233 million investment in Chinese battery maker BYD, emergence of solid state hydrogen storage, carbon-based storage systems, and the possibilities of portable power systems. But these stories only touch the surface of changes likely in a future with high density energy storage. The most exciting applications are probably those that might seem strange or impossible to us today.
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October 24 2008 / by Garry Golden
Category: Energy Year: 2012 Rating: 2
Earth2Tech is reporting that thin-film lithium-ion battery start-up Planar Energy Devices, has announced $12 million financing deal as it prepares to release its PowerBlade™ product in 2009.
The demand for safe, energy dense storage systems will only continue to grow as more consumer gadgets, wireless sensors, and micro devices hit the marketplace.
Planar hopes to capture its share of this growing market (Est. $55 billion) with its thin film solid state battery design that uses a unique cell separator to prevent overheating and potential fires common to lithium ion.
This is Planar’s second finance round. It was spun out of the U.S. DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) with an initial $4 million in 2007 with venture-financing from Battelle Ventures and Innovation Valley Partners (IVP).
November 21 2008 / by Garry Golden
Category: Energy Year: 2018 Rating: 2
It’s very hard to build a better battery. The chemistry is just bad. Pulling together the right combination of elements is either expensive, toxic or the ideal performance is short lived. The long view favorite for portable power systems remains micro fuel cells, but until that day arrives it is likely to be lithium ion batteries that dominate the market share for micropower.
Rechargeable lithium ion batteries power everything from cell phones and laptops to digital cameras. But they have failed to keep up with the pace of development in high performance, power hungry consumer electronics. iPhone owners struggle to get through a full day of use without running out of juice. And laptop carrying road warriors scramble inside airports, and geek freelancers position themselves in cafes just to find a plug. But hope for lithium ion batteries may be on the horizon!
What happened?
A Korean research team led by Dr. Jaephil Cho at Hanyang University has demonstrated a novel 3D silicon material used as a lithium-ion battery anode that greatly improves performance.
Li-ion batteries charge by transporting lithium ions from a positive cathode to a negative anode usually made of carbon (graphite). The energy charge is stored on the anode side of the unit, until needed by the device. Researchers try to expand performance by increasing the amount of energy that can be stored. Switching from carbon to silicon based materials is one path towards better performance.
Materials scientists have been exploring silicon as an anode material but, until now, have been unable to overcome its main barrier: maintaining its structural integrating after repeated charging and discharging.
A solution? Cho’s team of researchers have created a 3D porous silicon material that appears to hold its own and avoids collapsing on itself.
Why is this important to the future of energy?
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December 26 2008 / by Garry Golden
Category: Energy Year: 2010 Rating: 2
While US and European leaders debate investments in clean tech energy platforms, Asia continues to advance its first mover advantage in energy storage.
Toshiba Corporation has announced plans to construct a new production facility for its safe, long-life rapid charge SCiB battery to meet expected demand for industrial and automotive applications from 2010 on. The company also announced plans to expand production of high efficiency motors at a Vietnam based factory.
Energy storage is going to be a major growth area within the 'new energy economy'. Batteries are expected to be the dominate platform in the years ahead, but fuel cells and capacitors could soon emerge from the bottom of the 'Hype Cycle' with actual commercial products.
Toshiba estimates that the market for lithium-ion batteries for industrial and automotive applications to reach sales of 1.7 trillion yen (approximately US$19 billion) worldwide in fiscal year 2015.
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