Ending Battery Fire Risk: Exploring Zinc Batteries’ Potential

New York City’s long-standing ban on installing lithium-ion battery backup inside is likely to be followed by additional municipalities as more lithium-ion fires make the news. Even the safer lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry, which is very unlikely to start a fire, poses a challenge to first responders if ignited in a building fire. This session will look at the emerging chemistries that have comparable energy density but eliminate fire risk and explain why the electrolyte of a battery is key to its risk. The current state of zinc batteries will be discussed as they offer the most attractive energy density and price combination for residential solar-plus-storage installations and bring additional advantages.