# Why Long-Duration Energy Storage Breaks Batteries – and How Hydrogen Fixes It with Mia Rath

- Show: [Hardware to Save a Planet](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet)
- Published: 2026-01-22
- Length: 52m
- Episode: 94
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-01-22-why-long-duration-energy-storage-breaks-batteries-and-how-hydrogen-fixes-it-with
- Listen: https://podcasts.fame.so/e/1n2rpkrn-why-long-duration-energy-storage-breaks-batteries-mia-rath

## Summary

Mia Rath, co-founder and CTO of Lument, explains how her company uses solid-state metal hydride storage to solve the decoupling of power and energy capacity in long-duration energy storage. She details the material science behind their high-entropy alloys, the process of manufacturing the hydride powder in-house from domestic ore, and the engineering challenges of scaling reactor throughput. Rath discusses Lument's transition from a garage prototype to installing a 220 kWh system in a San Francisco warehouse, highlighting the permitting advantages and cost benefits for commercial customers and data centers.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-01-22-why-long-duration-energy-storage-breaks-batteries-and-how-hydrogen-fixes-it-with#t=0) Introduction and Guest Background
- [6:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-01-22-why-long-duration-energy-storage-breaks-batteries-and-how-hydrogen-fixes-it-with#t=368) Material Science and Metal Hydrides
- [8:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-01-22-why-long-duration-energy-storage-breaks-batteries-and-how-hydrogen-fixes-it-with#t=490) Lument's Origin and Technology Pivot
- [14:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-01-22-why-long-duration-energy-storage-breaks-batteries-and-how-hydrogen-fixes-it-with#t=891) Decoupling Power and Energy Capacity
- [21:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-01-22-why-long-duration-energy-storage-breaks-batteries-and-how-hydrogen-fixes-it-with#t=1273) System Architecture and Electrolysis
- [29:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-01-22-why-long-duration-energy-storage-breaks-batteries-and-how-hydrogen-fixes-it-with#t=1785) Permitting and Installation Challenges
- [34:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-01-22-why-long-duration-energy-storage-breaks-batteries-and-how-hydrogen-fixes-it-with#t=2078) In-House Material Manufacturing
- [37:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-01-22-why-long-duration-energy-storage-breaks-batteries-and-how-hydrogen-fixes-it-with#t=2262) Scaling Production and Data Center Demand
- [45:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-01-22-why-long-duration-energy-storage-breaks-batteries-and-how-hydrogen-fixes-it-with#t=2716) Climate Impact and Future Vision

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Certification & compliance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/certification-and-compliance)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Lument (company)
- Tesla (company)
- Rivian (company)
- XAI (company)
- Form Energy (company)
- PG&E (company)
- NFPA 2 (other)
- metal hydride (material)
- high entropy alloy (material)

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- [Unlocking the renewable energy revolution with Ramya Swaminathan of Malta Inc.](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-10-12-unlocking-the-renewable-energy-revolution-with-ramya-swaminathan-of-malta-inc) (How I Built This)
- [How to Save a Planet: Spark Tank! How Do We Solve the Energy Storage Problem?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-07-01-how-to-save-a-planet-spark-tank-how-do-we-solve-the-energy-storage-problem) (Catalyst)
- [Four ways to store sunlight](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-05-25-four-ways-to-store-sunlight) (Catalyst)
- [What do you do with a 100-hour battery?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2023-12-14-what-do-you-do-with-a-100-hour-battery) (Catalyst)
- [138. How Thermal Batteries Will Scale Sustainable Energy ☀️🔋](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2023-09-05-138-how-thermal-batteries-will-scale-sustainable-energy) (The Next Byte Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2026-01-22-why-long-duration-energy-storage-breaks-batteries-and-how-hydrogen-fixes-it-with. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Hardware to Save a Planet.