---
title: "This Water Battery Will Change the Way We Harness the Sun’s Energy"
description: "Researchers design aqueous battery that stores solar energy better than current lithium technology."
date: "2016-05-04"
modified: "2016-07-22"
authors:
  - name: "Nia Brown"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nia_brown"
url: "https://futurism.com/water-battery-change-way-harness-energy-sun"
categories:
  - "Energy"
  - "Science & Energy"
---

# This Water Battery Will Change the Way We Harness the Sun’s Energy

![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/batteryteam.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: \<a href="http://aspuru.chem.harvard.edu/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/batteryteam.jpg" target="\_blank"\>Harvard Aspuru-Guzik Group\</a\>\</em\>*

Batteries based on water that can store the electricity that we generate from solar technology? It can now be done.

Researchers at Ohio State University have [designed a device](<http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/jacs.5b03626>) with an [aqueous flow](<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_battery>) battery that is based on water as opposed to the standard lithium design of your average rechargeable batteries. It is the first aqueous flow battery to work with a solar cell and it is 20 percent more efficient than the lithium design.

The device is both a solar cell and battery, combining aspects of solar technology that are usually separate units. This milestone works toward better generating *and* storing electricity from the sun.

Ways we use solar energy to *generate* electricity:

**Photovoltaic**

Photovoltaic (PV) cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. Light particles, photons, are absorbed by semiconducting materials, typically silicon or a silicon alloy, in panels. The photons excite the electrons of the semiconductor and the result is electricity. The largest PV cell plant is Agua Caliente in Arizona.

[![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/AguaCaliente02-1024x576.jpg>)](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/AguaCaliente02.jpg>)
Forbes

**Thermal**

Thermal solar technology collects and concentrates sunlight to heat a solution to incredibly high temperatures. That heat is then used to produce steam which is put through and harnessed by a turbine. This energy can then be generated as electricity. The world’s largest thermal solar power plant is BrightSource’s [Ivanpah](<http://www.brightsourceenergy.com/stuff/contentmgr/files/0/8a69e55a233e0b7edfe14b9f77f5eb8d/folder/ivanpah_fact_sheet_3_26_14.pdf>) Solar Electric Generating System in the Mojave Desert of California.

[![](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/ivanpah5_wide-f397ba9449d20210276dcf50c3c20d5670a28bde-1024x575.jpg>)](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/ivanpah5_wide-f397ba9449d20210276dcf50c3c20d5670a28bde.jpg>)
NPR

When it comes to *storing* electricity, however, we still use conventional ways that this new aqueous flow technology is poised to greatly improve.

Sources: [US Energy Information Administration](<http://www.eia.gov/Energyexplained/index.cfm?page=solar_photovoltaics>), [Ohio State University](<https://news.osu.edu/news/2015/08/03/%E2%80%8Bnew-design-brings-world%E2%80%99s-first-solar-battery-to-performance-milestone/>)
Images: [Forbes](<http://blogs-images.forbes.com/uciliawang/files/2014/04/AguaCaliente02.jpg>), [NPR](<http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2013/07/28/ivanpah5_wide-f397ba9449d20210276dcf50c3c20d5670a28bde.jpg>)