“STORAGE’ is the Game Changer

PV to EV

‘STORAGE’ is the GAME CHANGER

Optimizing the storage capacity of electric cars is the key to the energy transition, said Julien Tchernia, chief executive of ekWateur.

Introducing ‘Battery’ for electricity ‘storage’ was one key factor for the growth of solar PV. This turned renewable energy to become very friendlier to all. Since then, rapid solarization took place in and around residential areas in many countries by accommodating ‘storage’ facility available in the market. That includes TESLA’s ‘Powerwall, Powerpack, Megapack to technologies like lead-acid, redox flow, and sodium-based batteries. Even a new name ‘Ever Flow’ has been introduced for ‘redox flow batteries.  These achievements specify that for faster growth of renewables ‘acceleration’ is needed for globalization goal.

Though, storage revolution is more recent, and for renewables (solar + wind) ‘energy storage’ first tackled the ‘intermittency’ problem. Once a battery storage become part of energy solution, people noticed that it could save a high percentage of electricity bill for large to small organizations, bringing more comfort, flexibility, and efficiencies for lives. Additional research on energy storage cells helped to redesign this component in such a way that engineers shifted their entire focus for developing “battery packs.” A battery pack is the sole energy provider component for driving Electric Vehicles (EVs). Goal is gradually all new EVs will replace current fossil fuel based modern cars on the road which already created a paradigm shifts in our daily lives.  Note, renewables first paired with ‘storage,’ then a refurbishment of storage part occurred before manufacturing a brand-new electric vehicle (EV) to be on the road. The last push was the ultimate game changer for Renewable energy now. ‘Storage’ finalized the EVs technology programs to become a reality.

‘Storage’― is for storing electricity, a life triggering element in our lives. These types of storage called ‘Battery’ and to scientific community it is known as ‘cell.’ Today, an illustrious cell’s name is Lithium-ion cell, LIB (in short). Tons of research have already been done and still going on elsewhere on LIB cell’s design, efficiency, on its anode, cathode, and separator parts etc. Here are some perfect examples: continuous research on battery cell’s volume upgraded a cell size first from 18650 to 21700 to now 4680 is the latest achievement that we know of. In doing so optimization of the storage capacity of electric cars happened.  Now, from a 21700 format, a single cell holds 17 – 18 Wh of energy. Range from such a cell is 140Y. Range from 6000 of such cells is~108 miles (range of EVs!). Also, continuous research on Cathode part of an LIB battery replaces today ‘Cobalt Oxide’ cathode to ‘Iron Phosphate’ cathode for LIB constructions. Scientific unit of energy is Joule, we use kWh. That is the unit of energy a battery pack/structural battery pack holds. Power (smallest unit kW) and Energy (kWh) links through time (hour) here. Keep in mind that batteries power everything today from laptops to cellphones to all smart devices at our homes, offices, factories, laboratories, and markets and so on.

On 02/18/22, TESLA Motors celebrated ‘TESLA Battery Day,’ CEO Elon Musk talked on this day in a ‘share-holders’ meeting afterwards of which was new battery accomplishments talk presented by TESLA team. Musk’s primary suggestion there was ‘accelerate solar and energy storage,’ to achieve new goals.  He specifies that 3 parts of Sustainable Energy future for sure are:

• Sustainable energy generation
• Storage
• EVs

Both Storage & EVs numbers here are in terms of billions to millions (not less than that). Although, EV manufacturers’ set ‘goals’ to achieve: #Ultrahigh efficiency, #Ultrahigh Voltage, # with least number of cells. And for sustainable energy generation, solar photovoltaic (PV) has been overly successful – it’s now the cheapest form of electricity ($1.49/watt). This means we’ve potential terawatt hour (TWh) of energy to use for transformation of the entire energy sectors along with all public transportations, heating, and a whole range of other energy needing activities.

All EVs run on battery pack energy. A battery pack holds batteries in certain orders of parallel and series format (unique criteria of any car brand). Lots of batteries are needed (over billions) for millions of EVs to be on the road. First, our efforts here needs to be very efficient by accelerating our work pace ‘as fast as we can’ for transition to sustainable energy state. A successful transition means production of more affordable EVs, to energy storage (battery). The system required building ‘Smart’ factories faster with far less investment option.

Current expectation is that our future is going to be solar dependent substantially. For renewables [Solar (PV) or, Wind Energy (WE)]; it is essential to install storage devices right to the production site.  Because theory is 30-40% solar energy if combined with 70-80% of WE penetration, consumers must manage all the fluctuations, basically through storage or very large area of networks (grids). Storage is necessary to balance the system as we move towards the net-zero target.

A better storage everywhere is a challenge:

• Battery-based energy storage enables electricity to be stored and delivered within milliseconds, reduce grid instability, and enable more energy to be captured and delivered on demand.
• Battery-based energy storage also uses no water and produces no emissions from its operations.

Alternative to battery energy is energy supply from grid if connected over a very large area of networks.  Overland is the head of the Center for Energy Research at the Norwegian Institute for International Affairs who said recently, “In any given place, the sun will not shine, or the wind will not blow for sometimes. But the greater the number of locations that are connected into one grid, the more likely it is that the sun will be shining, and the wind will blow on some part of the grid, which can then supply the other parts.” In other words, use of an Electric Grid can solve the issue of intermittency for renewable energy. Grids connect generators to consumers facilitating exchanges over greater distances and on a greater scale. Grid scale batteries of which 3/4ths are Lithium-ion batteries. Other technologies include lead-acid, redox flow, and sodium-based batteries.

Contrast to this is a battery supporting action in the following news: in October of 2015, Hawaii’s public utilities commission became the first in the U.S. to start ‘limiting grid-direct PV installations’ due to impacts on local grids from midday power exports. New systems would not be allowed to send surplus power back to the grid indiscriminately. In a recent move a small but thriving number of businesses still installed off-grid and backup systems, and many Hawaiian solar customers deployed batteries to ensure their PV output was stored for nighttime use rather than pushed back to the grid.’ The trend is visible everywhere now.

Wrapping up this message: Cost of battery is down now. In fact, for widespread adoption of technologies to devices price needs to be fall everywhere.  A typical lithium-ion battery pack may contain 14Kg of Cobalt (Co). Cobalt increases battery life and energy density (ED. But Co is one of the expensive metals for battery. Some car makers already eliminated Co completely from its battery cell production site. The idea they believe is that ‘more affordable cells, more affordable products.’ Finally, all storage (battery) industries already created and will create plenty of jobs that is helping economies of the associated countries.