2015-Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit
| Editors: | |
| Publisher: | Flogen Star OUTREACH |
| Publication Year: | 2015 |
| Pages: | pages |
| ISBN: | |
| ISSN: | 2291-1227 (Metals and Materials Processing in a Clean Environment Series) |
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The Next Battery Revolution - Thoughts for a Sustainable Paradigm
Vasant Kumar1;1UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, Cambridge, United Kingdom (Great Britain);
Type of Paper: General Plenary
Id Paper: 576
Topic: 42
Abstract:
In the search for sustainable energy batteries will play a major part. Batteries have been “silent partners” in past technologies that have made a major impact. We are in the midst of another major change where demand for batteries will experience an unprecedented growth. The questions relating to making batteries larger, better, safer, lighter, cheaper and sustainable will loom large in both research and development activities. In electrical vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electrical vehicles (HEVs), batteries account for some 1/3rd to 1/5th of the vehicle costs and a significant decrease in costs at improved performance will boost this sector enormously. The electricity sector is undergoing its own transformation. If the growth scenarios in the coming decades for renewable energy are met, will change the composition of the electricity power sector. It is not fully appreciated that a key ingredient for unlocking the great potential of renewable energy is “stationary energy storage”.
For over 1.3 billion people, connecting to the main electricity grid is unlikely to become a viable option in the foreseeable future. There is a great opportunity to skip over polluting forms of energy and move straight to cleaner renewable sources such as solar power. Leapfrogging in this way will avoid the large costs in transmission lines while benefitting the environment and the health of the people. Off-grid electrification is an innovation activity that should be harnessed for entrepreneurship and gainful employment.
For a zero carbon emission electricity to be adopted as a goal, serious considerations of how much energy does it take to make new batteries and recycle old batteries must be made transparent so that sustainable development is central to this potentially transformative paradigm in the horizon.