Think Greener in Couthuin, Belgium
Renewable Energy is here to stay! I have stated that before and will continue to do so. The cost for producing electricity via wind and solar continues to drop making it America’s fastest growing energy source.
The next hurdle, we are about to clear, is creating cheap sustainable energy storage technologies. Energy storage can come in many different shapes and forms. Scientists at NREL are working on ways to increase the ability for alkaline batteries to hold a longer charge while used in small electronics and in Lithium-ion batteries to help power laptops and electric vehicles.
As scientist create these new technologies, they are already thinking about the supply chain and the raw material required for production, such as how much of the finite resources are available, where are they located and what does it take to extract them from the earth. Thankfully today, scientists are looking to support a decarbonized future and we won’t repeat what we have done with the fossil fuel industry!
Safer batteries are also in scientists’ sights but can be expensive. A cheaper means of renewable energy storage is to utilize a concentrated solar power plant. The technology uses mirrors to concentrate the sunlight to heat salt and sand at high temperature. This molten medium is used to drive an electric generator to produce electricity. This sustainable solution can also allow for energy to be stored in the form of heated material and produce electricity when needed.
Please have a look at the full article for further insights on ways scientists from NREL are creating new sustainable solution for renewable energy storage.