Technological advances in recent years have enabled the rapid transformation of renewable energy sources – currently wind and solar account for 15% of the global power grid. Despite these gains, the problem of storing this energy has often drawn criticism about its long-term potential. Solutions may be on the horizon.

In some places they already exist: In Hokkaido, vanadium flow batteries are helping store renewable energy for downtime hours. To decrease reliance on fossil fuels in the energy industry, which currently account for a third of global emissions, these batteries can store energy when the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow. This effort helped the Japanese prefecture source 40% of its energy from renewable sources. 

China is also investing in technology: recently, it constructed the largest flow battery farm in the world. Experts say this economic interest indicates that flow batteries might become cheaper and more efficient for the rest of the world.

Various other solutions also exist: lithium-ion batteries, a similar, smaller-scale technology known for powering smartphones, have gained popularity in the US. Although no energy source is perfect, the global developments aimed at helping mitigate climate change ensure renewable energy won’t fade into the sunset.