In order to combat climate change by switching from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy generation, there is a critical need for the development of new energy storage technologies.  A robust network of energy storage facilities is essential for the stability of a grid powered primarily by wind and solar.  Given the scale of the need for energy storage, it is necessary for the storage technology to be low-cost, safe, and recyclable at the end of its life.  At Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, we have developed a technology capable of achieving these goals.  Our system is a novel flow-battery that uses a combination of strategies to address each of the above criteria. We use an aqueous (non-flammable) electrolyte and earth-abundant materials to keep projected chemical, manufacturing, and operation costs relatively low and to reduce safety concerns. Our newly developed flow-through electrode design further reduces projected manufacturing and operation costs and simplifies material recovery/recycling.  Based on our prototype, the chemical cost of storage is projected to be $59/kWh compared with $66/kWh and $154/kWh for lithium ion and vanadium redox flow batteries respectively.  As energy storage facilities become larger and larger, these savings from low up-front costs and efficient recycling will become increasingly important for keeping the cost of renewable energy storage affordable.

Flow-through battery electrode for grid-scale energy storage

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.