One of the most important technologies that substantially influence the quality of our lives and is vastly underappreciated is the ubiquitous battery. Whether it's the lead-acid batteries that start your car, the lithium-ion batteries that power your phone, or the nickel-cadmium batteries in your smoke detectors; batteries provide the energy necessary to operate the modern world.
As part of the long-term greenhouse gas reduction plan, all fossil fuel burning cars and heating equipment will be replaced with cars and heating equipment powered by electric versions. Though most power generation stations today are powered by fossil fuels, it is a shared vision to utilize more renewable wind and solar power generation in the future. Converting fossil fuel burning cars and heating equipment to electricity will require a substantial capital investment in upgrading the existing electrical distribution system. Grid-sized battery energy storage systems (BESSs) will be critical components in future electrical distribution systems.