5. A bigger picture - Energy Storage

With the overall global ambition to shift from fossil fuel-based energy sources to sustainable ones, such as wind and solar power, the need for energy storage will increase.

In this episode of Science on surfaces - a bigger perspective on the small we talk to Prof. Bengt Kasemo about energy storage and how surface science matters for some of the important storage methods. Prof. Kasemo, who has long experience in surface science and who has worked a lot with sustainable energy and the energy system of the future, explains key concepts and terminology and shares some of his knowledge, thoughts, and ideas on the topic.

As always, we start with the basics and talk about why energy storage is needed and what different ways there are to store energy. We then dig deeper into the storage methods where surface processes are involved, such as batteries and super capacitors, and touch upon the related topic of fuel cells. We also talk about how the surface material properties and surface condition matter, what are the pros and cons of the respective method, including challenges and limitations, and what the future looks like for these methods.

Thanks for listening! If you are interested in surface and interface science and related topics, you should check out our blog - the Surface Science blog