Batteries in Our “Green” Future…
I began part one of this article by referring to the habit of putting batteries in my kids Christmas stockings for all the little things that need batteries in our lives. And I used this memory as a stepping off point to discuss the importance of batteries in our Green Future. But the holiday is over, and the New Year is here, literally. So now it’s time to face the music and take a hard look at our Green Future and why batteries take such a strong (and weak) position in this future. What did I call them? The “Achilles Heel” of our Green Future. A Generalized “Green Future” The need for a Green Future, which could be generally agreed as a future with: is becoming more and more apparent as a necessity. The global weather patterns have been changing dramatically over the last few years, the matter of waste management is apparent as we have “plastic islands” in the oceans, and the basic need for cleaner air and water for our communities health are all news-worthy examples of the need for a greener future. These are generalized statements I am comfortable making without reference. I will also add that I discussed a few of these ideas with some depth in my first article, Brother Bob’s 50 Year Apocalyptic Plan. But let’s stay on topic: how do batteries themselves play such an important role in our Green Future? Seeing as part one hit on the history of batteries and their construction needs, let’s get into some greener topics in this article. Batteries Have Lagged in Advancement Let’s keep in mind the technological advancements that we have made, in terms of electrical circuitry, have been HUGE since the creation of the first computers in the 1940’s, by the trillions in terms of computational speed. Contrast that change to the minute changes in the battery. A “Tesla lithium-ion battery stores only roughly six times as much charge, per pound, as a lead acid electric car battery of 1920.” This HUGE contrast in advancement is causing issues for our future technology. “Battery technology may be the keystone of the energy transition, facilitating the decarbonization of the transportation sector while providing a critical backstop for intermittent solar and wind generation in power generation. But the widely used lithium-ion battery may not be up to the task of carrying the future of the global green economy.” Why Batteries? WHY are batteries so important in a global “greener” economy? After all, electric cars are not “new”, having been around almost as long as the battery has, and the use of wind and water for energy sources has been around for millennia as windmills and dams. So, again, WHY are batteries so important for our greener future? The electricity we use in our homes, businesses and production facilities comes from a continuous source on our archaic power grid, see part one. Any and all of our electrical appliances require this steady supply of flowing electrons to “work”, whatever that work is. So, we need a power source to supply that. We discussed batteries previously as “small chemical reactors, with the reaction producing energetic electrons, ready to flow through the external device.” This is small scale. Standard Power Plants For large scale electricity supplies, we rely on standard power plants. Today’s power plants, which ironically also hail from the 1880’s, commonly use fossil fuel products to generate electricity, which can then power entire cities. Dat’s a’lotta electricity! There are other common sources for large scale power plants, such as hydroelectric and nuclear, but these are not “new” sources that are considered overly green. Dams have effects on the rivers and the surrounding environment, and nuclear has the nasty problem of radioactive waste once the rods are spent… And let’s not forget the possibility of a nuclear melt-down. Ask the Russians and Japanese about that. Oh yeah… Ask the Pennsylvanians as well. Green Power Plants? All of the power plants mentioned above can supply a steady source of electricity, depending on the demand. Can the “greener” solar and wind power provide large scale energy? We know about homes and businesses with solar panels and the random collection of large windmills spread across the country, but how about supplying for large cities? There’s a problem, though, with solar and wind as a continuous source of electricity… They’re not continuous. The sun shines for a maximum of 12 hours per day, location dependent, and the wind blows sporadically. Therefore, other power sources are needed OR you need a large enough battery to store power while your energy source is offline. In terms of large solar farms, electricity can be sent directly to the local power grid, thereby providing part of the energy mix for the local utility. But emphasis on “part”. The solar farm would provide nothing at night. Wind farms work the same basic way; the wind turbines generate the electricity when the conditions are right, which is then sent on to the power grid. Offshore Wind Farms Can! The only exception to the inconsistency of solar and wind farming is offshore wind farms. Because of the pressure differences between air masses over land vs sea, winds along the coastlines tend to be very consistent and can therefore provide consistent “greener” electricity. Battery Power or Power Plant? So it seems that we are back to the initial problem of needing a battery to store energy for our greener energy sources… Unless you live near a shoreline that can provide you with consistent wind energy, you will need some sort of power source for when the greener solar and wind supply is down. Ergo, you need a battery, or remain attached to the power grid. Are Batteries a “Green” Power Source? Since batteries seem to be required for the greener energy sources described above, and not just for our transportation, communication, toys, etc… Are the batteries themselves actually all that green? No, they’re not. As of right now, fossil fuels
