A report from the International Energy Agency found that 35 percent of emissions reductions needed to reach net zero depend on technology that has yet to be commercialized. That’s why supporting early-stage clean energy innovators is critical to the energy transition and reducing emissions. California’s clean energy transition depends on better energy storage; some of the most exciting breakthroughs are happening now. The latest CalSEED Prototype Award winners are tackling big questions about battery lifespan, recyclability, and how we store power more efficiently and sustainably. From next-gen potassium-ion batteries to innovative battery recycling techniques, these startups are reshaping energy storage. Let’s look at five game-changing solutions in battery storage:
1. ExPost Technology: Giving Batteries a Second Life
We rely on lithium-ion batteries for everything from smartphones to electric vehicles, but what happens when they reach the end of their life? ExPost Technology is rethinking battery recycling—a process that extracts valuable materials without fully breaking down components.. This means less waste, fewer new materials needed, and a stronger circular economy for batteries—something we’ll need as energy storage demand skyrockets. Using Purification and Regeneration Integrated Materials Engineering (PRIME), ExPost recovers pristine quality battery components from battery scraps and end-of-life batteries. With its prominent economic, efficient, and eco-friendly process, this scalable method has the potential to reshape the battery recycling industry.
2. Project K Energy:Making Lithium-Free Batteries a Reality
Lithium has long been the go-to material for batteries, but it’s expensive and difficult to source sustainably. Project K Energy is developing potassium-ion batteries—a cheaper, longer-lasting alternative for large-scale energy storage. Since potassium is much more abundant than lithium, this technology has the potential to cut costs and make clean energy storage more accessible. Project K’s innovation lies in optimizing potassium-based cathode, anode, and electrolyte components with fundamentally different properties than their lithium-ion counterparts. The potential benefits of these potassium-ion batteries include faster charging, lower costs (and less price volatility), better performance at low temperatures, and improved safety.
3. Activated Energy: A Safer, More Sustainable Way to Store Power
Battery safety is a huge concern, especially when dealing with flammable or toxic materials. Activated Energy is reimagining energy storage—making it safer, sustainable, and even carbon-negative. Their innovative solid-state system stores energy by compressing carbon dioxide using eco-friendly materials, creating a compact solution that’s both scalable and long-lasting. Activated Energy’s product builds on compressed air energy storage (CAES) and CO2 energy storage combined with innovative solid-state sorption technology. It has reduced costs and sourcing concerns, as well as increased stability over lithium technologies. In addition to being non-toxic and nonflammable, the proprietary low-pressure storage technology reduces the footprint of the storage system, making it more suitable for congested urban environments than competing large-footprint gas-based storage systems, which require land resources most likely unavailable in urban areas. This long-duration energy storage system improves grid resilience for urban communities, reduces strain on electrical transmission lines, is non-flammable, and enables greater renewable energy adoption.
4. Sperra: Storing Energy Beneath the Ocean
One of the biggest challenges with renewable energy is ensuring we can store power when it is needed most. Sperra has a fascinating solution: Marine Pumped Hydroelectric (MPH) Storage. They’re designing 3D-printed concrete spheres on the ocean floor that store and release energy in sync with offshore wind farms. Unlike traditional energy storage, this system could last decades without losing efficiency. This approach bypasses the land use and permitting challenges that often limit pumped hydro projects. It can be deployed along coastlines or paired directly with offshore wind farms to boost efficiency and lower costs. With innovations like their patented multi-sphere “pod” design, automated 3D-printed manufacturing, and shared infrastructure with other ocean energy projects, Sperra is creating a new, cost-effective path for long-duration energy storage beneath the waves.
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5. Aepnus Technology: Cleaning Up Battery Manufacturing
It’s not just about how long batteries last—how they’re made also matters. Aepnus Technology is working on a cleaner, more cost-effective way to produce lithium salts and other battery materials. By making the production process more sustainable, they’re helping reduce the overall carbon footprint of energy storage systems from the start. Aepnus Technology’s innovation uses electricity instead of fossil fuel-based chemicals, reducing waste disposal costs and mitigating carbon emissions, especially when powered by renewable energy. By integrating the system on-site, manufacturers can cut waste disposal costs and achieve up to 35% savings on chemical expenditures. This solution enhances the sustainability and circularity of the battery industry while addressing critical chemical management challenges and contributing to the decarbonization of emissions-heavy chemical manufacturing processes. Aepnus’s ultra-efficient electrolyzers run on renewable energy to process essential materials like lithium salts and other reagents. They are advancing a novel electrolysis platform that recycles sodium sulfate—a common chemical waste in the battery supply chain—into valuable reagents (sulfuric acid and caustic soda), essential for refining battery metals and manufacturing cathode active materials.
Where Energy Storage Is Headed
The energy storage industry is evolving fast, and these companies are leading the charge toward longer-lasting, more sustainable solutions. Whether it’s recycling old batteries, developing new materials, or rethinking how we store power, these innovations will be critical in the clean energy transition. A future energy system won’t just rely on making better batteries—it’ll depend on keeping valuable materials in use through smart recycling and circular design. With continued investment and support, we’re looking at a future where energy storage isn’t just an afterthought—it’s a key pillar of a cleaner, more resilient, and circular power system. If these startups are any indication, the best is yet to come.
Energy storage is the key to unlocking the full potential of renewable energy sources. This blog explores innovations in energy storage, from advanced battery technologies and thermal storage systems to mechanical storage solutions. We examine how these technologies can transform the way we generate, distribute, and use energy, contributing to a more flexible, reliable, and sustainable energy system.
The development of battery technologies is ongoing. Lithium-ion batteries, ubiquitous in both consumer electronics and electric vehicles, are undergoing continuous improvements in energy density, charging speed, and lifespan. New breakthroughs, such as solid-state batteries, promise even higher capacities and safety levels. Unlike lithium-ion batteries, which use a liquid electrolyte, solid-state batteries contain a solid electrolyte. This fundamental difference offers several advantages:
In addition to batteries, thermal storage systems offer a unique approach to energy storage. These systems store excess energy in the form of heat (or cold), which can later be used for heating, cooling, or generating electricity. The principle behind thermal energy storage is relatively simple but extremely effective in balancing energy demand and supply, especially when linked to renewable energy sources such as solar power. This form of energy storage has diverse applications, ranging from increasing the efficiency of solar energy systems to providing heating and cooling for buildings. In solar power plants, for example, thermal storage can store the collected solar energy during the day and use it at night or during cloudy periods to generate steam and drive turbines. For residential and commercial buildings, thermal storage can help reduce energy costs by providing heating or cooling on demand, without direct energy generation.
Mechanical energy storage, such as flywheels and pumped hydro power plants, offers a sustainable and efficient way to store energy. These systems can quickly respond to changes in energy demand, making them particularly suitable for stabilizing the electrical grid and providing emergency power. Mechanical energy storage systems offer various advantages, including durability, long lifespan, and the ability to rapidly respond to fluctuations in energy supply and demand. They are essential for stabilizing the electricity grid, improving energy efficiency, and increasing the penetration of renewable energy sources. Moreover, unlike chemical batteries, these systems do not suffer from material degradation in the same way, contributing to their longevity and reliability.
The innovations in energy storage are crucial for the transition to a more sustainable energy system. By improving the efficiency and capacity of energy storage, we can fully harness the potential of renewable energy sources. This not only contributes to a reduction in CO2 emissions but also ensures a more reliable and flexible energy network capable of meeting fluctuating demand. With ongoing technological advancements and growing support for sustainable energy, we are on the brink of a new era in energy storage. An era where the energy we generate is not only green but is also used and stored in a smart and efficient manner.
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