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Sodium‐Ion Batteries Paving the Way for Grid Energy Storage
Author(s) -
Hirsh Hayley S.,
Li Yixuan,
Tan Darren H. S.,
Zhang Minghao,
Zhao Enyue,
Meng Y. Shirley
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced energy materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.08
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1614-6840
pISSN - 1614-6832
DOI - 10.1002/aenm.202001274
Subject(s) - renewable energy , energy storage , battery (electricity) , sustainability , grid , environmental economics , grid energy storage , nanotechnology , sustainable energy , materials science , process engineering , environmental science , computer science , electrical engineering , engineering , power (physics) , distributed generation , economics , ecology , physics , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , biology
The recent proliferation of renewable energy generation offers mankind hope, with regard to combatting global climate change. However, reaping the full benefits of these renewable energy sources requires the ability to store and distribute any renewable energy generated in a cost‐effective, safe, and sustainable manner. As such, sodium‐ion batteries (NIBs) have been touted as an attractive storage technology due to their elemental abundance, promising electrochemical performance and environmentally benign nature. Moreover, new developments in sodium battery materials have enabled the adoption of high‐voltage and high‐capacity cathodes free of rare earth elements such as Li, Co, Ni, offering pathways for low‐cost NIBs that match their lithium counterparts in energy density while serving the needs for large‐scale grid energy storage. In this essay, a range of battery chemistries are discussed alongside their respective battery properties while keeping metrics for grid storage in mind. Matters regarding materials and full cell cost, supply chain and environmental sustainability are discussed, with emphasis on the need to eliminate several elements (Li, Ni, Co) from NIBs. Future directions for research are also discussed, along with potential strategies to overcome obstacles in battery safety and sustainable recyclability.