Can Batteries Boost Renewables?
Planar is targeting electronics and automotive applications and also expects a key market will be energy storage for renewable power, like wind and solar, Kline said. Because those sources of electricity are intermittent — that is, electricity is sometimes needed when the wind isn’t blowing or the sun isn’t shining — the growth of those energy technologies could be a compelling opportunity for thin-film batteries, Kline said. While thin-film batteries today are just as costly as lithium-ion batteries, about 15 to 20 cents per watt hour, WinterGreen Research has forecasted that next-generation technology would boost the batteries to 40 times the efficiency of lead-acid batteries for the same price (see Recharging Green Energy ). “I project those to be very large markets within a couple of years,” said Susan Eustis, president of WinterGreen Research. “In a very few years, you will be able to run 20 percent of the power in the home from a thin-film battery.” Eustis said she expects the
