With an increasing level of renewable electricity generation there is a requirement for electro-chemical storage incorporated into the grid to minimise costs and decrease the amount of fossil fuels needed to balance electricity supply and demand. Currently lithium ion batteries, which have been designed for portable applications have not been optimised for fixed applications where weight and density of the battery are not as critical as cost effective storage. The NoRESt fellowship is based at Swansea University leading a team working on new manufacturing processes for energy storage applications, within the Materials Engineering department. Swansea University is undertaking internationally leading research within the field of processing of materials for energy application through the SPECIFIC IKC. The NoRESt fellowship will develop novel processing methods for the production of solid state batteries, for the application of fixed energy storage, to improve their energy storage performance by reducing inter-facial resistances. This will be achieved by developing active solid electrolyte pastes which can be printed and co-sintered onto the battery anodes. Prior efforts in this field have primarily focused on new chemistry for the active battery components rather than processing methods. By combining new chemistry with novel processing this fellowship will take advantage of advances in the field of solid state printed photovoltaics and apply them to the field of electro-chemical storage. Solid state sodium batteries will have the following advantages over liquid lithium ion batteries: - Lower cost - No cobalt or lithium used in manufacture - reducing reliance on single production locations - Reduced environmental impact of the battery production. - Lower recycling costs - Reduced fire risks (during waste processing and in use) By supporting a greater proportion of renewable electricity generations fixed storage batteries will reduce energy costs and help to meet the UK targets for limiting the catastrophic affects of climate change. This research will support complementary research in battery chemistry by providing an alternative architecture and method of manufacture. The environmental cost of production will also be analysed during this fellowship, ensuring that energy storage is developed with the smallest environmental footprint possible, with materials and processes with high environmental impact highlighted for further research to develop alternatives. Alongside materials manufacture and processing end of life will be considered in order to understand and mitigate early in the development process the impacts of end of life. Alongside developing novel processing methods the environmental, cost and performances of these batteries will be bench-marked against current (lithium ion) and other emerging technologies (salt-water batteries, flow cells and modern NiFe). Demonstrators will be manufactured before the end of the fellowship and be tested within zero carbon buildings built as part of the SPECFIC IKC project, this will accelerate the commercialisation of this project.

Humankind is on the brink of significant climate change and material resource shortages. We have reached the limits of our traditional 'take-make-dispose' linear economic models in which materials are extracted from the earth to create products which are discarded at the end of their useful lives. To achieve sustainability with our planet we must rethink the way we consume and use resources and seek to decouple economic growth from primary resource consumption and the associated environmental emissions. Circular economy and the widespread deployment of green energy technologies are essential to achieve this. Even renewable energy technologies have an environmental impact associated with production and disposal at end-of-life, and we must seek to minimise these impacts and maximise product take back for reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing and recycling once these technologies have ceased to be of use. To achieve this requires lifecycle optimisation, which takes account of product design and development of end-of-life processes. Printable photovoltaics (PPV) are a promising green energy technology in their infancy, which makes this the perfect time to carry out this research. Now is the time to develop processes and product designs which enable effective end-of-life treatment for efficient recovery of materials and components with which to manufacture new products, to drive down cost and environmental impacts of these emerging technologies, increasing the productivity of finite resources available to us. This project develops the eco-design of PPV informed by advanced characterisation and engagement with industrial partners and stakeholders at all stages of PV product lifecycles. This combined novel multidisciplinary approach to technical development of emerging technologies, which engages key industry partners and stakeholders in the value chain; and the development of methods, tools and knowledge required for lifecycle optimisation, can hasten commercialisation of PPV technology and accelerate transition towards circular economy for the greater benefit of the economy, environment and society.