If you're not already locked in, I highly recommend checking out sodium ion batteries.

Friends of mine got some about a year ago, ordered directly from a supplier in China, and can't stop singing their praises. They reckon they're cheaper per unit of capacity, last longer even with full cycling, and of course they come with zero fire risk : ) Also they're free of conflict minerals, easier to recondition/ recycle, and fairly nontoxic at EOL.

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#renewables #SodiumIon #batteries

@podsrover

In the rebel-controlled Congolese town of Rubaya, laborers produce 15% of the world's coltan ore, a mineral that is pivotal in the production of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/14/world/congo-cobalt-mine-tech-m23-rebels/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #africa #congo #cobalt #tech #electricvehicles #batteries #mining #africa

The Japanese government is considering requiring handheld fans to be recycled, in the wake of a host of fires caused by rechargeable electric devices during disposal work. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/13/japan/recycling-handheld-fans/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #recycling #waste #meti #batteries

Lithium prices and stocks spiked after battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd. halted operations at a mine in China, spurring speculation Beijing might move to suspend other projects. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/08/11/markets/lithium-market-cat-mines/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #markets #catl #batteries #electricvehicles #china #catl #mining

The US is far behind in clean-energy technology

https://volewica.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-us-is-far-behind-in-clean-energy.html

#ClimateChange#Batteries #China

A Japanese independent administrative agency has warned consumers that products powered by lithium-ion batteries, such as portable chargers and handheld fans, are more liable to catch fire during summer. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/25/japan/lithium-ion-batteries-fire-risks-summer/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #batteries #heatwaves

President Trump has cleared the way for a race to the abyss to extract critical minerals, even though seabed mining technology remains under development and commercially unproven. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/22/world/politics/trump-minerals-deep-sea-mining/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #rareearths #mining #oceans #batteries #pollution #sustainability #us #donaldtrump

I'm not sure if it's ever been said but just to be sure:

This graph is why using a battery between 20% and 80% causes much less wear.

Especially below 10% and above 90% the voltage changes rapidly, until the safety kicks in to avoid total breakage. The less voltage difference, the less wear on the battery.

for the nerds: yes I'm using a specific li-ion graph as example but you'll find similar curves with most types of batteries, and less voltage change is almost always less wear.

#batteries

I'm not sure if it's ever been said but just to be sure:

This graph is why using a battery between 20% and 80% causes much less wear.

Especially below 10% and above 90% the voltage changes rapidly, until the safety kicks in to avoid total breakage. The less voltage difference, the less wear on the battery.

for the nerds: yes I'm using a specific li-ion graph as example but you'll find similar curves with most types of batteries, and less voltage change is almost always less wear.

#batteries

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2025/02/09/masdars-solar-plus-battery-project-will-redefine-reliable-energy/

1GW baseload power from solar and batteries. Build should take about 2 years (solar + batteries have excellent project predictability). Cost is $6 billion but with that lead time and confidence, the loan costs will be quite low (even lower if tranches come on line sooner).

With the plummeting costs of BESS particularly I think this will be the first of many.

#solar #renewables #bess #batteries

Panasonic said its newest battery plant in the U.S. is on track to reach full production by later this year, easing concern about the Japanese electronics maker’s commitment to supplying electric vehicle makers. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/07/15/companies/panasonic-us-battery-plant-full-output/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #companies #panasonic #batteries #tesla #kansas

The venerable George from Tulsa takes us through the history of batteries and EVs and where these technologies are headed.

https://www.podfeet.com/blog/2025/07/george-tulsa-batteries/

#batteries#ElectricVehicles

The venerable George from Tulsa takes us through the history of batteries and EVs and where these technologies are headed.

https://www.podfeet.com/blog/2025/07/george-tulsa-batteries/

#batteries#ElectricVehicles

Japan’s transport ministry has announced new air safety regulations requiring flight passengers to keep power banks within sight to mitigate fire risks while on board planes. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/03/japan/mobile-battery-airplane/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #airlines #aviation #batteries #mlit

A first-ever event was held in New Delhi on Wednesday to reinforce cooperation between Japan and India in ensuring supply chains for critical minerals and batteries that use such resources. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/03/japan/japan-india-minerals-supply-chain-cooperation/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #indiajapanrelations #minerals #batteries #jetro

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Sodium ion tech is a game changer. You can completely fill them and drain them without damaging them, so their practical capacity is higher than lithium ion, for the same theoretical capacity. Plus they're a fraction of the price, so you can buy much more capacity for the same price, or buy more panels with that surplus.

As a bonus, no risk of catching fire, and in theory we could make them in Aotearoa from local materials.

#RenewableEnergy #Batteries #SodiumIon