14 DAY TRIAL // Alternative sources of power are a great way of powering homes without affecting the environment. However, even though wind and solar power are considered unlimited resources, their unpredictability makes them less reliable than their dirty competitors.
EOS Energy Storage is keen on proving that there are effective methods of overcoming this disadvantage, announcing the beginning of a new era for energy storage.
The company has recently developed a zinc-air battery, seeking to stock an important amount of renewable power at low demand and release it later.
Best news so far is that the new prototype, much more advanced that the common lithium ion batteries is also expected to be cost-effective.
Moreover, it represents an investment that actually pays for itself, since the innovative batteries have a lifespan of up to 3 decades.
“Other batteries need to hold a large amount of cathode reactant, equivalent to pulling a trailer full of air to oxidize the tank of gasoline in your car. Zinc-air batteries have higher energy density since they—like gasoline engines—use oxygen from ambient air as a reactant, and therefore do not need to carry it in the cell,” explained EOS Energy Storage officials.
As a major plus, the enterprise has announced a low cost per kWh, due to cheap materials, architecture, and manufacturing methods.
If their concept is implementable on a large scale, the new technology could revolutionize several sectors, like the military and giant industrial and commercial enterprises. The zinc-air battery Eos Aurora could easily improve the production of electric vehicles.
One of the biggest advantages is that the long-life zinc-air electrically rechargeable batteries are entirely eco-friendly, since they are made of safe, cheap, locally sourced, recyclable materials.
Zinc is widely available, non-toxic and energy-dense. Taking all these factors into consideration, developers plan to commercialize their prototype on a large scale, offering 6 hours of storage at a capital cost of $160 per kilowatt-hour, according to Treehugger.
The green line of innovative batteries can stock more energy at low demand and release it when it is needed the most. The Eos Aurora could convert energy shortages into a thing of the past, while boosting the popularity of alternative sources of power.