The battery that could make mass solar and wind power viable Dispatch

[Quixote1818]

[Quixote1818]

1. Leave it to a Canadian to just want to do this for the good of the world. nt

[Guppy]

2. what would republicans do

they would try to kill it if possible. It cuts into their donors. Someone should ask the Koch boys since they went to MIT.

[Quixote1818]

3. They will but it looks like most countries around the world are very open to this including China

China wants all cars battery powered by 2030.

[PirateRo]

4. It's good to let in immigrants!

It’s good to be the immigrant and bring your ideas, hopes and dreams to an open society where even the least among us are one or two generations from ideas that change the world! My deepest respects to Professor Sadoway and his team. I have watched this company for years. Delighted to see them moving ahead.

Now we need useful representation to carry it forward in the Senate, Office if the Peesidency and the Court. We must accelerate change, including to our economic system to ensure we leave no one behind.

[femmedem]

5. Yes, and welcome to Democratic Underground!

Looking forward to hearing more from you.

[FailureToCommunicate]

10. Welcome aboard! (Please remain seated with your seatbelt secured...turbulance ahead.)

[gristy]

6. I watched about half ot this, then sped through the 2nd half

Looks like a bunch of hype. I didn't see any key metrics or comparison of metrics to other energy storage methods. Cost per kW-hr of capacity, charge/recharge efficiency, lifetime... None of it.

[mucifer]

7. It's a puff piece. You could find more information if you google around.

[Quixote1818]

8. Bill Nye talks about why these batteries are likely the future and better than lithium

Doesn't go into too much detail, however what seems to set them apart is that they last up to 15 years without the loss of efficiency. An issue lithium batteries have.

[Quixote1818]

9. Don Sadoway goes into all the details here

[rgbecker]

11. WOW!

Thanks for putting this up. Never would have heard about this research. Very interesting.

[hunter]

12. Fluff video.

Maybe this battery...

https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/ambri-returns-to-the-energy-storage-hunt-with-liquid-metal-battery-redesign

All batteries suck, each type in its own special way.

[Rural_Progressive]

13. As someone who has lived intimately with batteries for over 20 years of my life

I'm curious how you came to that conclusion?

Been off-grid since 1998 using photovoltaics for the entire time. Getting ready to put in our BIG system in 2019 in order to take advantage of the ITC credit before it is gradually phased out.

If you've got some useful information that can help me select the 48volt battery bank that "sucks" the least I'd be grateful if you'd share your insight and experience.

Thanks

[hunter]

14. No advice, but I wouldn't feel too bad about traditional lead acid batteries...

... but only in places where battery recycling is heavily regulated to protect the environment and workers. That hasn't always been the case, even in 21st century California.

https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-exide-cleanup-story-so-far-20151121-story.html

In some places lead acid battery recycling is a nightmare. Many international organizations won't support solar and wind projects that use them.

Breaking batteries open with hatchets, letting the acid spill out onto the ground, and throwing the lead plates into open crucibles is a bad idea. There's a scary photo here:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/25/backyard-battery-recycling-is-biggest-chemical-polluter-for-poorer-nations

From an environmental perspective I'm not sure more expensive technologies like Lithium batteries (for example Teslas's Power Wall) or Nickel-Iron batteries are superior. Much of the cobalt used in various lithium battery chemistries has been mined by children and slaves.

https://www.dw.com/en/child-labor-still-rife-in-democratic-republic-of-congo/a-39194724

Lithium iron phosphate batteries don't use cobalt.

The lead-acid battery recycling industry is well established, the lithium battery recycling industry isn't yet, and will have to cope with a variety of lithium battery chemistries.

https://waste-management-world.com/a/in-depth-lithium-battery-recycling-the-clean-energy-clean-up

I'm no expert, just some bloke on the internet who has suffered fork lift, UPS, and laptop batteries, who is still waiting for the perfect battery.