Since the lead-acid battery was invented in 1859 – in time to power Civil War telegraph communication between armies in the field and military and civilian leaders in Washington, D.C. – we’ve witnessed “Energy integration” of about five times.
Battery buzz has been building because of portable power.
So what about batteries? Well, No. 2 on the World Economic Forum’s annual list of breakthrough technologies is next-generation batteries that will allow for grid-scale energy storage.
According to an Altair press release, “Going beyond lithium-ion, Altair’s lithium-titanate-based battery systems are among the highest-performing and most-scalable, with applications that include battery cells for military artillery, battery packs for hybrid vehicles and energy storage systems for large-scale stationary power services.”
The most exciting development for storage technology may be the product of one small Scottsdale, Arizona, startup Fluidic Energy.
Fluidic’s proprietary zinc-air battery technology and integrated intelligence may be the battery technology innovation that checks the boxes: higher energy density, lower cost, better safety, and longer life.
Zinc-Air Batteries, like a marathon runner, exert a steady flow of energy over a longer period of time.
