BATTERIES Are better batteries the missing


link in the energy revolution? By Ian Jensen, mechatronics engineer, Custom Electronics, Inc. (CEI)


F


or more than a decade, the engineering world has focused on harvesting energy  taller and smarter; solar panels have pushed conversion rates ever higher and grid    ignore: what happens to all that energy after we collect it?


 of engineers are turning their attention      the real challenge is no longer how we 


The Shift from generation to storage


     creating integrated systems that can safely   Consider the following as a typical residential scenario: electricity demand spikes during the latter part of the day, after       locally and deployed during peak demand,    lithium-ion to lithium iron phosphate, have 


Respecting the chemistry Lithium cells are prized for their energy   thousands of milliamp hours of capacity


              energy density increases, so too does the 


The intelligence behind the battery   each cell in a series stack, ensuring voltages      circuitry enforces safe charge and discharge   


 and conductor, ensuring that every cell in a  of intelligence transforms a collection of  


36 MARCH 2026 | ELECTRONICS FOR ENGINEERS


Applications moving closer to the load


          engineers can maintain power to monitoring equipment or safety systems at the point  


Looking ahead


 promise reduced volatility and improved     sophisticated management electronics       are moving from a supporting role to centre 


 


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