Power Play

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the challenges and opportunities surrounding the increasing role of batteries in our daily lives as cities electrify. It explores various battery ownership models, the supply chain issues, and the need to make battery technology more visible and connected to people's daily lives.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Charging

1. What are the key challenges posed by the surge in battery demand for electric vehicles?

• The grid infrastructure in many neighborhoods was not designed to handle the increased electricity demand from multiple electric vehicles charging at the same time, leading to potential blackouts.
• There are technical, user privacy, and prioritization challenges in implementing demand shifting solutions to manage peak electricity demand.
• Updating the grid infrastructure to handle the increased battery-powered electricity demand is a long-term challenge that requires policy reform and changes in societal attitudes.

2. What are some of the short-term and long-term solutions being explored to address the grid overload issue?

• Short-term solutions include demand shifting through smart thermostats and energy storage like the Tesla Powerwall.
• Long-term solutions involve updating the grid infrastructure, with initiatives like Alphabet's Tapestry and startups like Alphagrid working on this.

[02] Ownership

1. What are the different battery ownership models discussed in the article?

• Communal ownership: Neighbors sharing a common battery system to store and share electricity from their solar panels.
• Utility ownership: Utility companies owning and integrating batteries into the grid infrastructure.
• Battery rental: Private companies owning and renting out batteries, as exemplified by Gogoro's battery swapping service for electric scooters.

2. What are the key opportunities and challenges associated with each ownership model?

• Communal ownership can improve battery utilization but faces challenges in implementation and lack of policy support.
• Utility ownership offers high utilization and integration with the grid but is constrained by regulations and the need for substantial investments.
• Battery rental models provide convenience and battery management benefits but face risks of potential monopolies and high initial infrastructure costs.

3. What is the author's vision for a marketplace framework to enable the evolution of shared battery systems? The author envisions a future where there is a separation between the electrical infrastructure and the ownership of charging/swapping services, allowing for open access and competition to encourage innovation.

[03] Supply Chain

1. What are the key issues highlighted in the battery supply chain?

• Exploitation of communities in resource-rich but impoverished nations during the mining of raw materials for batteries.
• Environmental and social impacts of battery manufacturing hubs in developing countries with lax regulations.
• Lack of innovation and competition in the battery manufacturing market, leading to suboptimal battery management software.
• Challenges in creating a truly circular battery economy with effective recycling.

2. How does the author suggest addressing the systemic issues in the battery supply chain?

• Diversifying battery materials to use more abundant and ethically sourced elements.
• Prioritizing alternative city designs that reduce car dependency and foster sustainable transportation options.
• Challenging the existing political economy that prioritizes corporate profits over environmental and social justice.

[04] Sensible Technology

1. What is the author's perspective on making battery technology more visible and connected to people's daily lives?

• The author suggests that making batteries a more tangible and aesthetically integrated part of our lives, similar to the visibility of electricity infrastructure in the past, can promote understanding, appreciation, and a collective demand for sustainable energy.
• Examples provided include Gogoro's gamified battery swapping experience and "transparent consumer tech" that incorporates batteries as a design feature.

2. How can this approach of making battery technology more "sensible" help in embracing the challenges of the energy transition?

• By fostering an emotional connection between people and battery technology, it can inspire awareness, understanding, and a collective desire for change, rather than resistance to the challenges of the energy transition.