The #electric #aviation industry has publicly downplayed the challenges associated with certifying large #lithium propulsion #batteries, but it’s been a topic of intense negotiation behind the scenes. That's why a milestone announced this week by Swiss battery maker #H55 is so meaningful: it shows a manufacturer and regulator agreeing on the specific tests required to demonstrate that a large propulsion battery is safe for #flight. Full story in The Air Current: https://theaircurrent.com/aircraft-development/solar-impulse-h55-battery-certification-hurdle-electric-aviation/

The #electric #aviation industry has publicly downplayed the challenges associated with certifying large #lithium propulsion #batteries, but it’s been a topic of intense negotiation behind the scenes. That's why a milestone announced this week by Swiss battery maker #H55 is so meaningful: it shows a manufacturer and regulator agreeing on the specific tests required to demonstrate that a large propulsion battery is safe for #flight. Full story in The Air Current: https://theaircurrent.com/aircraft-development/solar-impulse-h55-battery-certification-hurdle-electric-aviation/

https://www.ess-news.com/2026/01/29/moonwatt-brings-dc-coupled-passively-cooled-sodium-ion-tech-to-solar-projects/

This kind of technology is one of the reasons that sodium-ion is going to scale much faster than the people focused on relative prices of Lithium think. (It is MUCH harder to build passively cooled Li-ion BESS (if its even possible above very small sizes))

#energy #energytransition #BESS #batteries #electrotech

🧠✨ Researchers at #Cornell have developed a "MOTE" – a tiny wireless sensor that can record #brain activity while sitting on a grain of salt.

Powered by infrared light rather than bulky #batteries, these microscopic devices are small enough to monitor neural #health for years without irritating sensitive brain tissue.

👉 https://scitechdaily.com/smaller-than-a-grain-of-salt-engineers-create-the-worlds-tiniest-wireless-brain-implant/

#technology #tech #medicine #science #engineering #innovation #neuroscience #future #discovery

🧠✨ Researchers at #Cornell have developed a "MOTE" – a tiny wireless sensor that can record #brain activity while sitting on a grain of salt.

Powered by infrared light rather than bulky #batteries, these microscopic devices are small enough to monitor neural #health for years without irritating sensitive brain tissue.

👉 https://scitechdaily.com/smaller-than-a-grain-of-salt-engineers-create-the-worlds-tiniest-wireless-brain-implant/

#technology #tech #medicine #science #engineering #innovation #neuroscience #future #discovery

Batteries & BESS going gangbusters.

Summary of Volta's 2025 Battery report: https://www.ess-news.com/2026/01/26/voltas-2025-battery-report-costs-keep-falling-boosting-bess-across-the-globe/

Online report is here:
https://volta.foundation/battery-report-2025

BESS deployments increased by 104GW / 257GWh, for a global capacity of 267GW / 610GWh, breaking through 100GW barrier for the 1st time. ~40% of the cumulative BESS capacity was installed in 2025.

Turnkey BESS (Includes all battery and electrical assets & management software) costs fell another 31% from 2024 to 2025.

#Batteries #energytransition

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/01/23/india-commissions-first-merchant-battery-energy-storage-system/

Moving to Merchant PPAs means:
- There is a solid enough market
- lenders see the project as low risk
- business and technical controls are sophisticated enough to engage directly with the market

The increasing use of merchant contracts for BESS and renewables is an important signal about their maturity.

#energytransition #renewables #batteries #energy

Hey all, I'll be at #FOSDEM this year with my colleague Daniel representing the Flow Battery Research Collective! Our talk is called "Scaling up open-source batteries: what's worth pursuing?"

It's at 12:30 on Saturday, livestream and recorded talk also available. Details here: https://fosdem.org/2026/schedule/event/3EEZZB-open-source-batteries/

#chemistry #batteries #OpenSourceHardware #EnergyStorage #energy #electrochemistry #OpenScience

Hey all, I'll be at #FOSDEM this year with my colleague Daniel representing the Flow Battery Research Collective! Our talk is called "Scaling up open-source batteries: what's worth pursuing?"

It's at 12:30 on Saturday, livestream and recorded talk also available. Details here: https://fosdem.org/2026/schedule/event/3EEZZB-open-source-batteries/

#chemistry #batteries #OpenSourceHardware #EnergyStorage #energy #electrochemistry #OpenScience

https://www.ess-news.com/2026/01/21/noon-energy-demonstrates-100-hour-ultra-long-duration-energy-storage-system/

There are many promising LDES solutions reaching production deployment stage ATM. Here is another.

#BESS #batteries #energytransition #energy

Prime Minister Mark Carney announces 49,000 #EVs to receive a 6% import tariff annually in Chinese trade deal.

Finally, Canada’s automakers will experience direct competition to push them out of their outdated business models, and consumers will be able to access leading EV technology. Perhaps EVs with low cost #sodiumbatteries?

#Canada #automakers #ev #batteries #China #Canpoli #ClimateChange #tariffs

Prime Minister Mark Carney announces 49,000 #EVs to receive a 6% import tariff annually in Chinese trade deal.

Finally, Canada’s automakers will experience direct competition to push them out of their outdated business models, and consumers will be able to access leading EV technology. Perhaps EVs with low cost #sodiumbatteries?

#Canada #automakers #ev #batteries #China #Canpoli #ClimateChange #tariffs

Speculative, but interesting.

https://www.electronicdesign.com/markets/automotive/article/55343174/donut-labs-solid-state-battery-may-be-real
#batteries

Speculative, but interesting.

https://www.electronicdesign.com/markets/automotive/article/55343174/donut-labs-solid-state-battery-may-be-real
#batteries

What a year of solar and batteries saved us in 2025

https://scotthelme.co.uk/what-a-year-of-solar-and-batteries-really-saved-us-in-2025/

#HackerNews #solar #energy #batteries #sustainability #2025 #climate #change

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2026/01/07/production-ready-solid-state-battery-promises-five-minute-ev-charging/

IF Donut are not lying their socks off
AND their claims for its performance are accurate
AND their claims about its materials are true
AND they are about to sell it in a product so people can tearit done and confirm it.

THEN they may have built a viable pseudo-capacitor technology.

Which would be fucking amazing!

#batteries #energy #energytransition

With electric vehicles becoming a realistic option for Japanese consumers, battery recycling holds the key to the further spread of EVs. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/01/10/battery-recycle-japan-ev/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #batteries #electricvehicles #cars #carmakers #recycling

Nearly 60% of people in Japan do not know how to properly dispose of mobile batteries, while fires involving batteries are on the rise, a survey has shown. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/01/07/japan/mobile-battery-disposal-survey/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #batteries #surveys

LA Times: New California fee targets batteries in PlayStations, power tools and singing cards

"...With the start of the new year, Californians will pay a new fee every time they buy a product with a nonremovable battery — whether it’s a power tool, a PlayStation or even a singing greeting card.

The 1.5% surcharge, capped at $15, expands a recycling program that’s been quietly collecting old computer monitors and TVs for two decades...."

(paywall)

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-01-04/new-california-fee-targets-batteries-in-playstations-power-tools-singing-cards

#climate #batteries #electronics