Global energy prospects in the 21st century: a battery-based society

Current energy needs are nearly totally dependent on fossil fuels. This is causing global warming and exhaustion of resources; it is important to switch to more efficient and effective energy use. These circumstances are expanding the role of secondary batteries. Non-fossil fuels such as photovoltaic cells and wind energy are unstable, but combining them with secondary batteries improves their stability as electric power sources. If electrical load leveling between day and night can be achieved by storing electric power, it will be possible to achieve a high capacity utilization rate for generating facilities that have high generating efficiency and produce little CO2. Depending on the generating mix, the practicalization of electric vehicles will serve not only to alleviate air pollution, but also to limit CO2 emissions. There are hopes for the development of large-capacity lithium secondary batteries with long cycle life, high energy density, high power density, and high energy efficiency. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.