Market analysis shows: Supercapacitor application scenarios are increasing

According to foreign media reports, supercapacitors are currently being used in more and more scenarios and are rapidly replacing batteries for energy storage.

(Image source: eetindia)

As renewable energy becomes more popular with the development of automobile and IT applications, grid storage has great potential for development. For example, aerial wind energy (AWE) generators, which are tied to drones or even kites, can capture stronger and more stable winds than traditional wind turbines.

KiteNRG, an Italian company that is developing an AWE system with a capacity of up to 500 kW, says: “High-altitude winds in the troposphere are an untapped energy source that could be sufficient to meet current global energy needs.”

UK market analysis firm IDTechEx believes that in order to cope with the expected surge in electricity, Italy's energy collection design needs to adopt "island configuration" supercapacitors. Another reason for adopting this off-grid mode is that energy collection technologies such as wave and tidal stream schemes must operate continuously and reliably in remote areas.

In addition to capturing more energy than conventional batteries, supercapacitors also waste less power. IDTechEx estimates that supercapacitors used for energy harvesting have approximately 100 times the durability of batteries, while also being able to be “deeply discharged”, whereas batteries can only draw on 15% of their capacity.

In energy recycling applications, supercapacitors also outperform battery storage in terms of the energy required to replace the battery, which can at least partially offset the cost of supercapacitors, as has been demonstrated in hybrid vehicles.

Still, supercapacitors lag behind battery technology in terms of energy density, a key factor in increasing the range of electric vehicles . The energy density of the latest lithium-ion batteries is still comparable to that of fuel cells, but supercapacitors have a relatively high power density (measured as power per given mass), which allows them to outperform batteries based on the amount of storage space available.

IDTechEx points out that the introduction of battery-supercapacitor hybrids by car companies to combine the advantages of these two energy storage technologies may help reduce the high prices of supercapacitors (large versions still cost thousands of dollars). Moreover, the use of such devices can avoid damage to wind turbine blades in storms, potentially saving millions of dollars.

“Supercapacitors are safer than batteries, can tolerate overcharging, and avoid the need for complex battery management systems,” the market tracker states. The technology is becoming increasingly non-flammable, non-toxic, and, unlike batteries, does not require costly controlled disposal.

IDTechEx estimates that for emerging devices like airborne wind turbines, supercapacitors waste 14% less electricity and can capture up to twice as much renewable energy as airborne wind platforms.

Energy storage has long been a weak link in the development of renewable energy. As technology startups and more supercapacitor suppliers begin to further tap into potential energy, the recycling, storage and management of renewable energy will have good development prospects.