How do batteries store energy?

Batteries and similar devices accept, store, and release electricity on demand. Batteries use chemistry, in the form of chemical potential, to store energy, just like many other everyday energy sources. For example, logs and oxygen both store energy in their chemical bonds until burning converts some of that chemical energy to heat.

Why is battery energy storage important?

Battery energy storage is essential for a sustainable and resilient energy system. It stores electricity for later use, supporting the shift from fossil fuels to renewable sources like wind and solar. By capturing renewable energy when available and dispatching it as needed, battery storage improves grid efficiency, reliability, and sustainability.

What makes a battery unique?

Batteries are unique because they store energy chemically, not mechanically or thermally. This stored chemical energy is potential energy—energy waiting to be unleashed. Inside a battery, this energy is stored in the chemical bonds of the materials in its electrodes.

What is a battery & how does it work?

The term battery doesn’t refer to any single technology; fundamentally, a battery is a tool to store energy and release it when and where needed. This broader perspective can open up new solutions that can complement or even surpass more conventional battery technologies.

Are batteries enough to meet our energy needs?

Solar panels produce electricity when the sun shines, wind turbines spin when winds are strong, but our energy needs don’t always conveniently align with these intermittent sources. This disconnect makes batteries an essential part of our energy future—but today’s batteries aren’t enough to meet the need.

Is battery storage enough to reach city scale?

While some places, like California, are adding traditional battery storage to their electric energy mix, that may not be enough to rapidly reach city scale. As we grapple with increasingly complex energy challenges, many are looking for innovative and longer-term energy storage solutions.