Four ways to store sunlight

What this episode covers

Andy Lubershane, partner and head of research at Energy Impact Partners, joins Shayle Kann to discuss four primary methods for storing solar energy: lithium-ion batteries, heat storage, iron-air batteries, and hydrogen. Lubershane argues that while lithium-ion dominates short-duration grid balancing, its cost floor limits its viability for long-duration needs, creating opportunities for cheaper alternatives like thermal storage and Form Energy’s iron-air batteries. He also explains how hydrogen can serve as ultra-long-duration storage, particularly through blending into existing gas turbine infrastructure, and notes that carbon capture and storage (CCS) remains a significant competitive alternative for maintaining fossil-fuel-based resilience.