Murdoch University researchers have come up with a potential solution for the central obstacle facing sustainable energy. Wind turbines don't turn on a still day. Solar doesn't work at night and can be hampered by cloud, dust or snow coverage. To make sustainable resources a reliable form of energy their excess needs to be stored in batteries, currently making them an expensive and impractical option.
Dr Manickam Minakshi has developed a water-based sodium-ion battery that has shown excellent potential for affordable, low-temperature energy storage.
The battery has the added advantage of being based on globally abundant and affordable sodium (iron, nickel and manganese), a leap forward for green energy.