Scientists on the lookout for utility-scale, high efficiency
batteries are developing new “flow”systems that that store
energy more effectively than lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries,
but there’s a catch. The flow batteries in operation now are
about the size of a house and they cost more than the equivalent
in lithium-ion batteries. The race is on to find smaller,
cheaper alternatives and researchers at Sandia National
Laboratories believe that they are on to the solution, which is,
in fact, a solution of liquid salts called MetILs. The limits of
lithium-ion for wind and solar Lithium-ion batteries have been
the gold standard of energy storage solutions for a long time,
but they fall short when it comes to the utility-scale systems
needed to keep up with new high efficiency wind turbines and
advanced solar technology. The cost of lithium-ion batteries is
one factor. Another is their relatively short lifespan, compared
to flow batteries. According to Sandia chemist Travis Anderson,
a flow battery can withsta