MODERN BATTERIES
There are dozens of different kinds of batteries. Perhaps the most familiar are the single-use alkaline batteries found in toys, torches and remote controls. They get their name from their electrolyte, potassium hydroxide. They are small, efficient and have a long shelf life, but they don’t pack much power. At the other end of the scale are the industrial batteries at solar farms. Known as grid-scale batteries, they’re capable of storing and releasing enough energy to power thousands of homes. The largest, currently under construction in Australia, is set to provide storage of 1,200 megawatts.
Similar to the batteries found in your phone or laptop, grid-scale batteries work by shuttling positively charged lithium ions. They can be recharged hundreds of times, they hold lots of energy for their size and they don’t go flat when you leave them idle – unlike the lead acid battery in your car. But they’re not the best batteries on the market. That title goes to air batteries. Expensive and still somewhat experimental, air batteries have the potential to revolutionise portable energy once again.
They use oxygen to release electrons, making them much lighter than their conventional counterparts.