Energy Storage, 2nd Edition

Chapter 1Introduction

Billions of years ago, during the Big Bang nucleosynthesis, chemical energy was stored in the chemical elements. We now store electrochemical energy in our modern-day batteries. Over the estimated 14 billion years life of our universe, energy storage has been and will continue to be an essential part of all things in existence.

In the last few decades, we have become dramatically more dependent on reliable and long-lasting energy storage. Several reasons have contributed to this increased reliance, including the widespread use of modern portable or wearable devices, significant growth of human population, and the rising demands of the 21st century lifestyle. Meanwhile, there are other driving factors at play. Our conventional sources of energy like non-renewable fossil fuels continue to decline, and the environmental, economic and political concerns surrounding the generation and use of energy are growing, leading to a wide range of energy challenges and concerns.

To resolve and manage the unique energy challenges of the 21st century, much effort has been directed toward identifying the most efficient, effective and durable energy storage solutions that can adequately meet our multifaceted life requirements. In this book, we will address a wide range of energy storage methods with emphasis on their basic mechanisms. In this chapter, we will first discuss the “energy problem” and the motivation underpinning the development of efficient approaches to store ...