New technologies for battery and energy storage
The main technology blocker is the current expensive batteries that raise the cost of electricity storage for cars, buildings or for dealing with intermittent wind and solar energies. Scientists and investors are developing new technologies that could achieve the holy grail of cheap batteries.
New battery tech (improved lithium technology, super-capacitors…) should cope with multiple targets:
-cheap price for storing electricity;
-fast charging for vehicles;
-lightweight for airplanes;
-avoid rare components that limit mass production;
-long life for avoiding costly recycling.
Other energy storage solutions range from H2 production by hydrolysis, with H2 used for fuelcell tech (similar to batteries but not rechargeable), gravity storage with water reservoir, etc. These solutions could add up to become expandable.