Wind and solar are great source of renewable energy, but they both have a notable Achilles’ heal: The sun isn’t always shining, and the wind isn’t always blowing.
So at night and on wind-free days, solar and wind power can’t meet electricity users energy needs – unless, that is, wind- and sun-generated power can be stored for later use. And therein lies the appeal of batteries, which can hold that power until it's useful.
Batteries have made serious advances in recent years, especially in electric vehicles. In fact, according to Bloomberg, from 2007 to 2011, electric vehicle battery costs fell about 14 percent a year – and that puts today's battery costs as low as IEA predicted they would be in 2020.
There are also signs that those car battery breakthroughs could soon make their way into homes and businesses, transforming the way ratepayers get – and store – their electricity.
