The battery is dead: What’s happening in the energy conservation market

Batteries are fundamentally important for the future of electric cars and energy in general. RBC Trends has looked into how the industry works and what its main problems are

In the traditional power industry (thermal power plants, nuclear power plants, hydroelectric power plants), the most important component of the systems was the turbine which converted the energy from the source into the mechanical energy for its further use. However, with the development of renewable wind and solar energy, energy storage systems, which will effectively store the generated energy, are at the forefront. The cars of the future will also not be able to do without efficient batteries.

Types of energy systems

A variety of technologies are available to capture energy, store it, and use it later. Electric and thermal energy storage systems are considered the most common. Such systems come in several types:

Electrical equipment

The greatest growth rate of energy storage over the past decade has come from electrical systems such as batteries and capacitors. Capacitors are devices that store electrical energy in the form of a charge stored on metal plates. When a capacitor is connected to a power source, it stores energy and releases it when disconnected from the source. A battery, on the other hand, uses electrochemical processes to store energy. Capacitors can release stored energy at a much faster rate than batteries because the chemical processes take longer.

Mechanical

Mechanical energy storage systems use basic physics ideas that convert electrical energy into kinetic energy for storage and then convert it back into electrical energy for consumption. Such systems are large hydro-storage dams, mechanical flywheels, and compressed air storage.

Thermal

Thermal energy storage allows thermal energy to be stored and used later to balance the need for energy between day and night or when the seasons change. The most common are hot or cold water tanks or molten salts, ice storage, and cryogenics.

Chemical

Typically used in hydrogen storage. They use electrical energy to separate hydrogen from water through electrolysis. The gas is then compressed and stored for future use in hydrogen-fueled generators or fuel cells. This method is rather energy-intensive. Only 25% of the energy is saved for the end use.

Different industries and technologies use different types of batteries with different chemical compositions. Lithium-cobalt batteries, which are lighter and have a high voltage for fast charging, are used in smartphones and other consumer electronics. More robust and larger lithium titanium batteries are installed in public transport, particularly in electric buses. Power plants use low-capacity but fire-safe lithium-phosphate cells.