2011 is the year for energy storage
You might not realise it but many of the ordinary, mundane things that occur every day in your life involve energy storage in some way. From the calls made on a mobile phone, to the way we get to and from work and even the kinetic energy used in a wristwatch powered by the ‘pendulum-like’ movement of one’s arm; all of them require some kind of innovation in energy storage and this year will be like no other seen before.
This week, Rob Day, partner at Black Coral Capital and private equity investor, has said that 2011 is the ‘Year for Energy Storage’ and we couldn’t agree more. Commercially, this year will see electric car technology hitting the mainstream with Nissan’s Leaf and a few months down the line, Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV, as prime examples of the electric revolution in the UK.
Energy storage development has spread to our newly discovered tastes for mobile computing as well. Mobile tablets, popularised by Apple’s iPad, have put greater demands on battery life and longevity. Blackberry will also be launching their Playbook, showing that there is high demand for these devices, despite the resurgence of tablet computing less than 9 months ago.
Geographically, there is also a great need to develop energy storage solutions that can be transportable as well as independent of the national grid. The earthquake disaster that occurred in Haiti last year meant that aid agencies repairing the damage needed portable and dependable power sources to perform even the most basic of humanitarian aid. Even now, the electricity in Haiti only reaches only a quarter of the population as the restoration of Haiti continues.
All things considered, the next 12 months will be monumental to the development of energy storage techniques. One company that has capitalised on energy storage is Maxwell Technologies Inc. Having won a $1.7 million contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Maxwell Technologies is leading a team to develop longer operational batteries for portable electronic equipment carried by military personnel.
Some governments are even seeking energy innovation as a cornerstone of their future economic policy. The Saltire Prize, an initiative by the Scottish Government, offers a £10 million prize to the team that can demonstrate in Scottish waters, a commercially viable wave or tidal stream system. Energy independence, it is hoped, will allow Scotland to foster more jobs and stimulate growth in their economy.
The world therefore needs to store energy for more intensive purposes and for extended periods of time, to reach more people.
Budding innovators and entrepreneurs out there will be pleased to know there is a way in which they can develop their ideas further with some serious investment in our recently opened Fundamental Ideas Challenge, part of the multiyear, multi-million dollar Energy Storage Challenge. The competition, run by London-based competition vendor OmniCompete, is seeking for fresh ideas about systems that can provide transportable energy storage. The winning entry can look forward to a $250,000 prize to take the idea further. The prize fund is provided by the Office of Naval Research (ONR)and the Office of Naval Research - Global (ONR-G).
Submissions can be made free of charge on the OmniCompete website, which provides more details.
2011 looks to be an electrifying year for energy storage and the Energy Storage Challenge and OmniCompete aim to be at the forefront of this development, through the Fundamental Ideas Challenge.
