The small prototype device, developed by scientists at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, could be especially useful for storing energy from intermittent sources, like solar and wind energy.
“Longer-duration energy storage technologies are important for increasing the resilience of the grid when incorporating a large amount of renewable energy,” said Imre Gyuk, director of energy storage at DOE’s Office of Electricity, which funded the work. “This research marks an important step toward a seasonal battery storage solution that overcomes the self-discharge limitations of today’s battery technologies.”
Renewable sources ebb and flow with natural cycles, which can make it difficult to include them in a reliable, steady stream of electricity.
In the Pacific Northwest in the spring, for instance, rivers heavy with run-off power hydroelectric dams to the max just as winds blow fiercely down the Columbia Gorge. All that...