Batteries are needed for renewable energy to work. Batteries store renewable energy until it is needed. Currently, lithium ion batteries are used for this.
But as renewable energy production increases, lithium ion can’t keep up with the demand. The lithium ion shortage is getting worse each year, and costs for lithium ion are rising. So we need an alternative that is environmentally friendly, cheap and accessible.
In this episode, we talk with Ryan Brown, co founder of Salient Energy, the company that is creating the future of batteries: zinc ion batteries. Zinc is 100X more accessible than lithium, and produces two thirds less greenhouse gas emissions than lithium ion batteries.
The unique thing about Salient’s zinc ion battery design is that it is water based, making it significantly cheaper and safer than any other zinc ion battery on the market, and is the first battery ever where the zinc ions react at both electrodes.
In this conversation we break down the problem of lithium ion and why an alternative is needed, as well as the criteria to make a feasible alternative to lithium ion. We dive deep into the tech of how Salient’s battery works, and what this new battery means for the world.