Further advances in battery technologies are needed for smart grid
A factor of five reduction in cost will be necessary if batteries are to become commercially viable for grid-scale electricity storage, according to the head of the Department of Energy’s battery research center. George Crabtree, director of the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR) at Argonne National Laboratory, told a panel discussion that center researchers are evaluating several battery technologies, with the exception of batteries based on lithium ions, which are viewed as incapable of attaining the needed improvements. Lithium-ion technology has been improving its cost-effectiveness, but at a rate of 5–10% a year.
