What's the key to using alternative energy, like solar and wind? Storage -- so we can have power on tap even when the sun's not out and the wind's not blowing. In this accessible, inspiring talk, Donald Sadoway takes to the blackboard to show us the future of large-scale batteries that store renewable energy. As he says: "We need to think about the problem differently. We need to think big. We need to think cheap. If you want to make something dirt cheap, make it out of dirt. Preferably locally sourced."
The problem at the heart of many sustainable-energy systems: How to store power so it can be delivered to the grid all the time, day and night, even when the wind's not blowing and the sun's not shining? At MIT, Donald Sadoway has been working on a grid-size battery system that stores energy using an inexpensive, incredibly efficient, three-layered battery using “liquid metal.". With help from fans like Bill Gates, Sadoway and two of his students have spun off the Liquid Metals Battery Corporation (LMBC) to bring the battery to market.
"How do we attack important problems? Pose the right question." Donald Sadoway
