Innovations for Energy Storage

One of the most common criticisms of renewable energy, like solar and wind, is that it’s not available when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. The solution, of course, is energy storage—storing the excess energy which is produced when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing. And now it appears that Germany has developed the ideal battery for storing that excess energy.[1]

It’s called the sodium-iron-air battery, and it has several benefits over what is currently available to store energy generated through renewable energy sources. First, it uses iron, saltwater, and oxygen, all of which are plentiful on the planet, unlike the lithium and cobalt used in so many of today’s batteries. Second, the sodium-iron-air battery has a long life—more than 25 years. Third, since the components are readily available and abundant, the battery is relatively inexpensive to build and operate compared to batteries that rely on lithium or cobalt.

The battery is being tested on a pilot farm in Bavaria and thus far is working as advertised. Germany plans to build more sodium-iron-air batteries throughout Germany over the next decade, for use in industrial zones and power plants.

The primary limitation of the sodium-iron-air battery is its size. While it may be ideal for industrial use, its large size makes it impractical for consumer products like smart phones or computers.

The sodium-iron-air battery is not the only solution being developed to store the excess energy from renewable sources. One idea that is in the works uses compressed air to store that energy, while another idea uses a salt mixture.

In the former, hydraulics and renewable energy are used to compress air into underground salt caverns, which are abundant in Germany (more than 400 such caverns in Germany are suitable for this purpose). When energy is needed, the compressed air is slowly released, powering turbines which generate electricity. A facility using this technology is planning to open in Germany in 2027 or 2028, but a facility that uses a similar system of compressed air has been operating since 1978.

The salt mixture idea uses energy from renewable sources to heat a molten salt mixture to temperatures in excess of 1,000° C (more than 1,800° F). That heated mixture is then stored in insulated containers, where it keeps most of its heat for weeks or even months. That heat can be used at a later time to heat water into steam, which can be used to produce electricity.

To learn more about what climate change is, how it is impacting our world, and how it might be fulfilling biblical prophecy, please read Chapter 11 of my book, Beyond Blind Faith, entitled “Apocalypse Soon.” You can read it in its entirety for free on this website. Just click here, or click on “Don’s Books” at the top of this page and scroll down to the “List of Contents” under my book, Beyond Blind Faith.

[1]. This blog entry is based in part on the following sources:

“Germany’s Breakthrough Battery: A Game-Changer for Energy Storage,” found at https://www.chargeduppro.com/post/germany-s-breakthrough-battery-a-game-changer-for-energy-storage

“New salt and air based BESS being commercially developed in Germany,” July 6, 2025, found at https://ctif.org/news/new-salt-and-air-based-bess-being-commercially-developed-germany

“World’s ‘first commercial scale air battery’ will be in Germany,” July 2, 2025, found at https://www.modernpowersystems.com/news/worlds-first-commercial-scale-air-battery-will-be-in-germany/