We live in an amazing world. Things evolve so quickly we can never be sure we know all about life beyond batteries. What follows is just a snapshot at this point in time. If you visit this blog a year into the future, things will very likely be different. This is what makes our world of batteries so fascinating.
Construction in Our World of Batteries
We have reached the stage where electrification is taking over from coal, oil and gas energy. The role of batteries in this is becoming so immense, that we need support from other technologies in the energy world.
Take the construction industry for example, suggests Åsa Alström at Volvo. Our growing population demands we keep building, building, building. But did you know construction contributes around 16% of all CO₂ emissions globally?
Battery technology is already established in smaller construction vehicles. They have proven their ability to reduce harmful pollution in our atmosphere. But some construction machinery is so huge, that we can’t imagine how many batteries it would need to operate these all day long.
This is why we need to start seriously thinking all about life beyond batteries. This is because electro-chemical energy storage as this point in its evolution, does not suit every customer in our diverse construction world.
One Size Does Not Meet All Customer Needs
One size definitely does not fit the needs of all energy storage customers. Perhaps we need to look beyond batteries as a one-stop-shop, suiting everybody. After all, recharging batteries requires a source of electricity that is not always available.
This is where fuel cells, that generate their own electricity using stored hydrogen, are playing an increasing role. Perhaps we need to see them teaming with batteries in our green future.
We could complete the mix by adding combustion engines running on biofuels, hydrogenated vegetable oils, green hydrogen, and renewable grid supply. These are our thoughts about life beyond batteries. What do you think the picture will look like, five year’s from now?
More Information
Building on Battery Power for Construction
Shipping Big Batteries Is Hazardous
Preview Image: Sources of Construction Energy
