The Climate Question27 Feb 2022

How quickly is battery technology advancing?

The need to be able to store electricity as part of our low carbon future, has increased dramatically as the use of renewable energy has expanded. Both solar and wind energy rely on sunlight and weather, only providing intermittent power. Electric cars need to be able to travel greater distances on one charge and cost less to have mass market appeal. It’s clear batteries are a key - but evolving - technology. Improvements still need to be made to their safety, power and cost.

Megawatt batteries are being built in many countries, in a step toward creating a renewable energy back-up for the grid. But these batteries are made using Lithium, which is limited because of their size, the length of their lifespan, and their track record in causing fires.

We look at the limitations of the batteries that exist right now, and what new technology in the field is expected to bring in the coming 10 to 15 years. We also visit a hydro-pump powered energy storage system in Israel, where the company, Augwind, is developing an interesting alternative to electric batteries.

Presenters Kate Lamble and Jordan Dunbar are joined by:

Susan Babinec is Program Lead in Energy Storage at the Argonne National Laboratory Sandra Chavez is Director Partnerships at Powerhouse Gary Yang is Founder of UniEnergy Technologies Eshhar Chetsrony is the VP Business Development at Augwind

Producer: Dearbhail Starr Reporter: Roni Dori Researchers: Lizzie Frisby Series Producer: Alex Lewis and Rosamund Jones Editor: Emma Rippon Sound Engineer: Andrew Garratt

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(315)

The solar power boom in Pakistan and the Philippines

The Philippines and Pakistan are now the world's top solar panel importers. We find out why, and what other countries can learn from the boom!Cheap solar panels, mainly imported from China, are transf...

20 Sep 22min

Can China build its way out of climate change?

Huge construction projects are transforming China - think enormous dams, giant solar power farms and a vast high-speed rail network. Will Beijing's "engineering mindset" help it deal with climate chan...

13 Sep 27min

How will melting glaciers change Nepal?

As shown by the recent flash floods, Nepali mountain communities are on the front line of climate change. Can they adapt?Host Jordan Dunbar talks to two Sherpas who have become climate researchers. Th...

6 Sep 26min

Can we cope with droughts?

Europe is reeling from a record-breaking drought which has closed nuclear power stations, stopped river traffic and sent food prices soaring. And there may now be more intense droughts in some parts o...

30 Aug 26min

How do we save Africa's forests?

African forests are vital for food and economic development, as well as for supporting millions of species of animals and plants. We find out how to protect them better with one of Africa’s top enviro...

23 Aug 22min

Is air conditioning the answer to extreme heat?

Experts say we may now need to spend more on cooling our homes than heating them because of climate change. In fact, the International Energy Agency thinks the equivalent of 10 new air conditioners ev...

16 Aug 26min

Is this a new era of wildfires?

Huge wildfires have been sweeping across Southern Europe and North America. Is climate change increasing the risk? And what can we do? Weather experts say the world is starting to see new types of wil...

9 Aug 22min

How is climate change affecting motherhood?

Graihagh Jackson talks to mothers from India, Kenya and the UK about how climate change is affecting women's decisions about whether to have children and how to raise them.Her guests are Bhavreen Kand...

2 Aug 26min