The Rise of Batteries in 6 Charts & Not Too Many Numbers

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The unstoppable rise of batteries is resulting in a domino impact that places half of worldwide fossil gas demand in danger.

Battery demand is rising exponentially, pushed by a domino impact of adoption that cascades from nation to nation and from sector to sector. This battery domino impact is ready to allow the speedy phaseout of half of worldwide fossil gas demand and be instrumental in abating transport and energy emissions. That is the conclusion of RMI’s just lately printed report X-Change: Batteries. On this article, we spotlight six of the important thing messages from the report.

1. Battery gross sales are rising exponentially up S-curves

Battery gross sales are rising exponentially up traditional S-curves that characterize the expansion of disruptive new applied sciences. For thirty years, gross sales have been doubling each two to a few years, having fun with a 33 % common development fee. Up to now decade, as electrical automobiles have taken off, it has been nearer to 40 %.

Exhibit 1: International battery gross sales by sector, GWh/y

2. Battery prices maintain falling whereas high quality rises

As volumes elevated, battery prices plummeted and vitality density — a key metric of a battery’s high quality — rose steadily. Over the previous 30 years, battery prices have fallen by a dramatic 99 %; in the meantime, the density of top-tier cells has risen fivefold. As is the case for a lot of modular applied sciences, the extra batteries we deploy, the cheaper they get, which in flip fuels extra deployment. For each doubling of deployment, battery prices have fallen by 19 %. Couple these price declines with density good points of seven % for each deployment doubling and batteries are the fastest-improving clear vitality expertise.

Exhibit 2: Battery price and vitality density since 1990

3. Making a battery domino impact

As battery prices fall and vitality density improves, one utility after one other opens up. We name this the battery domino impact: the act of 1 market going battery-electric brings the dimensions and technological enhancements to tip the subsequent. Battery expertise first tipped in shopper electronics, then two- and three-wheelers and automobiles. Now vans and battery storage are set to observe. By 2030, batteries will doubtless be taking market share in transport and aviation too.

Exhibit 3: The battery domino impact by sector

4. Incumbent modelers stay behind the curve

How briskly will batteries proceed to develop and enhance? The reply is so much quicker than right now’s consensus view. In relation to the expansion of small modular applied sciences, there are two guidelines of thumb: the primary is that superior applied sciences present process speedy price decline are likely to develop exponentially; the second is that the majority analysts miss the primary. Batteries have been no exception to this rule, having been persistently underestimated by modelers.

Over the previous years, many battery forecasts have successfully projected linear development. As Exhibit 4 illustrates, precise gross sales maintain outrunning such forecasts and because of this analysts maintain revising their projections upward. The warning of such linear considering might, on the floor, appear cheap, however in actuality, it’s merely incorrect.

Exhibit 4: Automotive lithium-ion battery demand, IEA forecast vs. actuals, GWh/y

5. The drivers of change will strengthen

If we sit up for the subsequent seven years, we see the drivers of change strengthening. Notably, we see prices persevering with to fall, coverage assist persevering with to rise, and competitors between financial blocs persevering with to drive a race to the highest. And whereas there are obstacles to battery adoption on the horizon, humanity’s wit, will, and capital are scaling proportionally quicker. Thus, we don’t see a state of affairs of gradual adoption as credible; as a substitute, we mannequin two futures: quick or quicker. Actuality is more likely to lie someplace between the 2.

RMI forecasts that in 2030, top-tier density can be between 600 and 800 Wh/kg, prices will fall to $32–$54 per kWh, and battery gross sales will rise to between 5.5–8 TWh per yr. To get a way of this pace of change, the lower-bound (or the “quick” state of affairs) is operating consistent with BNEF’s Internet Zero state of affairs. The quicker S-curve state of affairs exceeds it.

Exhibit 5: A reinforcing suggestions loop between battery high quality, price and market dimension

6. Enabling the phase-out of fossil fuels

The most effective technique to quickly section out fossil fuels is to speed up the deployment of applied sciences that scale back fossil gas demand. Batteries are on the trail to displace 86 exajoules (EJ) of fossil fuels from highway transport (emitting 6 GtCO₂ per yr) and to place in danger one other 23 EJ (or 1.6 GtCO₂/y) from transport and aviation. Within the electrical energy sector, as batteries synchronize the pure rhythms of the solar and the wind with the timing of electrical energy demand, they assist allow the discount of an additional 175 EJ of fossil gas demand (or nearly 15 GtCO₂/y).

Exhibit 6: CO₂ emissions abatement enabled by batteries, GtCO₂/y abatement versus emissions right now

Batteries are rising quick, however that’s no motive to relaxation on our laurels. Continued development would require continued effort. Batteries received this far by way of tireless, concerted efforts of firms, governments, researchers, and local weather advocates. And whether or not the motivation is decrease costs, geopolitical benefit, or local weather, it’s important to make this quick transition quicker.

Obtain the total report right here.

By Daan Walter, Sam Butler-Sloss, Kingsmill Bondnbsp

© 2023 Rocky Mountain Institute. Revealed with permission. Initially posted on RMI.