As India stands tall as the fifth largest economy of the world, so does the power sector as it proves its dynamics on a daily basis. Be it the electric vehicles you see on the road (more often) or be it the Energy Storage Systems, everything that you ever thought as a possibility is now becoming a reality.
Although the renewable energy sources continue to become more prevalent, it is essential to develop and implement systems that can store and distribute energy efficiently and reliably. Let us dive deeper in to the mainstream strata and take a look at the ever changing power sector around us.
ESS
The future stares us in the eye as Energy Storage Systems take centre stage as a sustainable replacement for power generators and inverters. The Energy storage systems are critical to the ongoing transition towards renewable energy sources, as they allow us to store excess energy generated during times of high renewable output and use it during times of low power generation. Batteries are the most widely used form of energy storage system today, and they are commonly used in electric vehicles and stationary applications. They work by converting chemical energy into electrical energy and storing it within the battery. Therefore ESS is not just an acronym but an essential substitute for creating a more stable and reliable energy grid.
With almost zero repetitive cost, ESS (s) are often used in industries as a backup and also preferred over generators in some cases. The most common types of batteries used for energy storage include lithium-ion batteries and lead-acid batteries and the choice of ESS depends on a variety of factors, including cost, efficiency, lifespan, and the specific needs of the application.
These systems still have a long way to go. Being a recent addition, even the industry stalwarts lack awareness about the ESS and so do the general masses. The initial high costs often deter individuals and businesses. The lack of standardized regulations and limited technology options also hinder the adoption of ESS. Therefore, a collaborative work between the governments, businesses, and research organizations can help overcome these challenges and pave development policies that promote the adoption of ESS. Investing in research and development to improve technologies' affordability, standardizing regulations, the incentivizing of ESS deployment and effectiveness can help push the coin. Thus, ESS can become more accessible and become a widely used technology. Moreover, the deployment of Energy Storage Systems in India can also help in solving the country's persistent problem of power outages and provide a reliable and sustainable source of power.
Battery Recycling Industry
While batteries remain to be used in various applications, they also pose significant environmental and health risks when improperly disposed of, as they contain toxic materials such as lead, cadmium, and mercury.
Therefore battery recycling industry plays a crucial role in promoting sustainability and reducing the environmental impact of batteries. Aiming to recover valuable materials from used batteries, this booming industry also helps reduce the need for virgin materials, and prevent hazardous waste from polluting the environment. The recycling process typically involves four stages.
The first stage of the recycling includes collection and sorting. The next stage involves chemical processing. The metal components, such as lead, nickel, and lithium, are then chemically processed to recover valuable metals. The recovered metals can then be sold back to battery manufacturers or other industries for reuse in new products.
The technological advancements and government regulations have paced the budding recycling industry and side-lined challenges including low collection rates, complex recycling processes, volatile commodity prices. In recent years, several countries, including the United States, China, and the European Union, have also implemented regulations to encourage battery recycling and promote the development of a circular economy. As per the latest International Energy Agency reports, the global battery recycling industry is expected to grow at an enormous speed in the coming years, driven by the increasing demand for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
Electric Vehicles
As automobile industry strives for sustainable transportation, the swift and efficient electric vehicles have now become a reality. EVs are not just energy efficient but also eco-friendly as compared to their fuel powered counterparts. They convert a higher percentage of their energy into motion i.e. EVs require less energy to travel the same distance as a traditional vehicle. This results in lower operating costs for drivers and reduces overall energy consumption.
EVs hardly produce any emissions during usage and thus the associated air pollution stays at bay. However, the transport landscape is yet to find a golden duck as lack of awareness, charging infrastructure need to hurdled up. We know for a fact that the IC engine took over a hundred years to evolve to its best, the EV market still struggles around chassis design, battery mechanism and much more as no two electric vehicles run on the same pretext of specifications as that of traditional vehicles.
Spreading awareness serves as a golden wand and the need of the hour for both manufacturers and consumers. Concepts like battery swapping and consumer literacy about chargers, batteries will straighten the spine and thus add impetus to build a robust EV industry.
Also Read - Future of Education: How IB Pedagogy Releases Academic Burden
Conclusion
Be it the ESS, battery recycling or EVs, all of them stand as the tallest pillars of sustainable power. Our future generations can now have a chance as we opt for apt solutions. While the advent of battery system and management stand at the top of the power pyramid, the Game Changers of the power sector have long laps to stride.
