Researchers at Stanford University have developed a sodium-based battery that can store the same amount of energy as a lithium-ion battery at less than 80 percent of the cost, according to the team's analysis. The work points to a cheaper route for storing power from solar and wind farms, whose output depends on weather and time of day.
The Stanford battery binds sodium to myo-inositol, an organic compound found in household products such as baby formula. Myo-inositol can be derived from rice bran or from byproducts of corn milling, making the material easier and cheaper to source than lithium, which is rare and costly.
Chemical engineer Zhenan Bao framed the trade-off directly: "Nothing may ever surpass lithium in performance," Bao said. "But lithium is so rare and costly that we need to develop high-performance but low-cost batteries based on abundant elements like sodium."
Sodium-based batteries have been built before, but the Stanford team says its approach is more cost-effective. The group's analysis compared cost and performance but did not evaluate volumetric energy density—how large the sodium-ion battery must be to hold the same amount of power as a lithium-ion equivalent.
Battery storage is central to the shift toward renewable energy. Solar and wind generation rise and fall with environmental conditions, so excess power captured during peak output can be saved for less favorable periods. Cheaper sodium batteries could make that storage more accessible in regions where lithium-ion costs are a significant financial barrier.
The design is not yet ready for consumer products. The team acknowledges substantial work remains, though it is confident the design can be improved.
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