MENLO PARK, Calif., April 24 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers report they've designed a low-cost, long-life battery that could enable solar and wind energy to become major suppliers to the electrical grid.
Currently, the researchers said, the nation's electrical grid cannot tolerate large and sudden power fluctuations caused by wide swings in sunlight and wind, and must use batteries to bridge these fluctuations, storing excess energy and discharging it when input drops.