Science: solar energy power

If solar energy is to eventually meet most of our electricity needs, batteries would have to be introduced into the power grid — and a lot of them — so the sun’s energy could be stored for night-time use. At the moment, there are no battery banks: power stations are simply cranked up and down to meet the demand at the time.

Chemistry Nobel prize winner Richard Smalley had a vision for a solar-plus-battery-powered future. At its core was a large rechargeable battery in every house and office building, which would meet all the needs of the occupants for 24 hours. These mega-batteries would simply be recharged whenever the sun was shining.

The catch is, today’s batteries aren’t up to the task.
The Age