Li-ion batteries: news, progress, history and background

Panasonic to begin mass-production of long-life Li-ion battery system for solar-powered homes in Europe : Panasonic Corporation will begin mass- production this month of a compact, secure and long-life lithium-ion battery system the company has developed for European homes. This marks the first time for the company to produce in volume such a system designed for Europe. The lithium-ion battery system consists of the Panasonic battery module with nominal capacity of 1.35 kWh and a battery management system designed to control charge and discharge of the battery in accordance with customer needs. The battery system stores excess energy generated from the photovoltaic (PV) power system during peak hours of PV generation and discharges the energy as needed, providing a solution as a household battery storage system that helps self-consumption of solar-generated power. It will also enable households to reduce the dependence on grid power and facilitate the further spread of green ener...

A story in MIT's Technology Review, written by yours truly, looks at progress in the development of solar batteries for small electronic devices. Researchers in Europe have paired together a thin-film organic (polymer) solar cell and a flexible polymer battery, with the end result being a super thin, flexible solar battery that can automatically recharge remote controls, sensors, and even mobile phones when exposed to indoor or natural light. Full story