Issue #12: February 12, 2025
Have you ever dreamed of solving real-world problems with your own ideas?
Meet a young entrepreneur, Mr. Allan Gray, who’s using solar energy and an innovative battery system to revolutionize island transportation with innovation and creativity. This is a story you don’t want to miss!
What’s Inside This Issue?
- Concepts and Terminology: Discover concepts and terminology introduced in the featured article.
- Featured Article: Join us as we explore the amazing world of solar-charged transportation with Mr. Gray and discover how these technologies will change many lives.
- About the Interviewee: Discover how Mr. Gray’s journey is helping impact the world.
- The Impact of Solar Batteries on Equity and Sustainability: Discover how solar batteries, with their ability to store energy for later use, enhance equity and sustainability .
- Setting the Stage for Your Future: Explore a solar battery career pathway.
- Glossary: Recap key concepts and terminology from the featured article.
1. Concepts and Terminology
- Greenhouse gas – Sometimes abbreviated “GHG.” Like the glass window panes of a greenhouse for growing plants, a GHG in our atmosphere helps keep the heat in, which is not good. Vehicles with gasoline and diesel fuels produce GHG’s. Electric vehicles do not make GHG’s during operation.
- Solar cell – Also known as a photovoltaic cell, it converts sunlight to electric charges and current. It only works when light shines on it, but the energetic charges it creates can be taken and stored in other devices (such as rechargeable batteries) to do work at a later time.
- Rechargeable battery – This electronic device is not the fastest-charging storage device, but it can hold a lot of electric charge, making a tank of energy ready to do work.
- Supercapacitor – This electronic device may not be the best at storing a lot of energy, but it can take in and give back out the electric current very quickly. They can be used when accelerating or braking vehicles, for example, to help out batteries.
- e-Trike – A machine that combines rechargeable batteries, possibly supercapacitors, and an electric drive motor to make a large tricycle vehicle run, built for at least two people.
2. Featured Article
Swap, Don’t Stop: How Electric Trikes Are Changing Island Transport in the Philippines
Drs. Paul & Sik Lee Dennig, Writers
With Insights from Mr. Allan Gray, Co-Founder of sunE & Hessner Technologies
What If You Never Had to Wait for Your Phone to Charge?
Picture this: your phone’s battery is at 1%, but instead of waiting forever for it to recharge, you just pop in a new one from a vending machine and keep going. Sounds like a dream, right? Now, imagine that same idea applied to an entire vehicle.
That’s exactly what Mr. Gray is doing in the Philippines—only instead of phones, he’s revolutionizing transportation with solar-charged battery swap stations for electric tricycles. His system allows drivers to replace drained batteries with fully charged ones in minutes, cutting out the long wait and eliminating the need for expensive, imported fuel.
Image Source: Hessner Technologies
But why does this matter? The Philippines is made up of over 7,600 islands, and many of the smaller ones depend on ferries to bring in essential supplies—especially gasoline, which is transported from larger islands due to a lack of local fuel production. This reliance on ferried-in fuel drives up costs and creates logistical challenges for residents and businesses.
Fortunately, these islands have an untapped resource—sunlight, and plenty of it. With year-round sunshine, solar power offers a cleaner, more reliable alternative to gasoline. The challenge? Setting up electric vehicle charging stations can be expensive.
That’s where Mr. Gray’s sunE and Hessner Technologies come in. Instead of relying on costly fuel shipments from larger islands, his system uses solar energy to charge batteries at central locations. His first focus is converting gasoline-powered tricycles to electric ones because they are among the most widely used vehicles on the islands, providing essential transportation for both locals and tourists. Since tricycles burn through a lot of fuel daily, switching to a battery-swapping system could significantly lower costs for drivers while reducing pollution.
Battery Power: From Tiny Cells to Electric Vehicles
To understand why Mr. Gray’s battery-swapping system is such a game-changer, it helps to first explore how batteries work. We’ll start small—literally—by looking at the basic building blocks of energy storage and gradually work our way up to the bigger picture, taking a few interesting detours along the way.
The smallest complete storage unit inside a battery is called a single cell. Think of it like a LEGO™ piece—it’s the fundamental building block that stores and delivers energy. A cell uses chemistry to store energy and releases it as electricity when needed. When multiple cells are connected together, they form a battery. And if you keep scaling up, you get battery modules and battery packs, which power everything from smartphones to electric vehicles.
Now, let’s take a closer look at these cells. They come in two basic shapes:
- Flat cells, which can be rectangular (prismatic) or pouch-shaped.
- Cylindrical cells, which are round like small tubes.
But external shape isn’t the only thing that matters—what’s inside is just as important. The design choices of materials, layout, and dimensions determine how much energy a battery can store, how fast it can charge, and how long it lasts.
So, what makes one battery different from another? One major factor is the combination of materials and chemistry. Let’s start with the simplest type: disposable batteries (also called primary cells), like the ones in flashlights or TV remotes. These batteries, often made with zinc and carbon, are designed for one-time use. Once they run out of charge, their voltage and current drop, and they’re done—leading to waste and potential environmental issues if not disposed of properly.
That’s where rechargeable batteries come in. Thanks to the pioneering work of Nobel Prize-winning scientist Prof. John B. Goodenough, rechargeable batteries can be used over and over again by restoring their charge. Some can be recharged hundreds of times, while others last for thousands of cycles before wearing out. One of the most common types today is the lithium-ion battery, which powers everything from your phone to electric cars. Let’s take a look inside of a single cell in three different forms:
Different packages for rechargeable lithium-ion cell.
The cylinder is a cell, the simplest unit of storage. The prismatic type and pouch type shown here are cells, too.
Image credit: Etekware
The cell is first constructed mechanically and then wet chemicals are inserted between the electrodes (alongside the separator) to make it all work. How is that basic construction done? Let’s focus on wound cells. Have you ever eaten a slice of jelly-roll cake? Well, all cylindrical and some prismatic cells are wound up, like a jelly-roll cake. We make the comparison in the image below. Can you figure out why two layers of separator are used in the lithium-ion cell?
Make a Cake Roll
Image Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
Produce a Lithium-Ion Cell
Image Credit: Flash Battery
Once wound-up, the multi-layered cell is placed inside of a metal can, protective devices are also installed inside, a special liquid or gel called the electrolyte is injected, and metal end caps are securely put on for protection and to make electrical contact to the + and – metal foils inside so they may reach the world outside. A protective plastic – an electrically-insulating layer – is heat-shrunk onto the outside, leaving the metal end caps exposed, and the manufacturer’s labeling is applied (none shown here). Then, the cells go through a special thermal-electrical break-in period at the factory. The cells have lots of evaluations done all along the way before they are shipped.
A finished rechargeable lithium-ion cylindrical cell.
Let’s zoom in now and take a further look inside of a common lithium-ion cell and see the main parts in action. In each of the differently-shaped cells listed above, the inner workings are very similar. They consist mainly of two separated pieces of materials inside, called electrodes. To make sure that the two electrodes (the ‘+’ and the ‘-’ sides) never touch, an electrically-insulating but porous polymer sheet, called a separator, is placed between those two electrodes. “Porous” means that there are microscopic holes in it (you’d need a microscope to see them), and those holes let some chemicals pass through. Since the electrode materials are usually weak mechanically, they are supported by metal foils. This is a cartoon of the cell cross section:
A detailed cartoon view of the inner parts of a rechargeable lithium-ion cell,
illustrated during discharge, when it supplies electricity to do useful work.
No matter whether the outside shape is cylindrical, prismatic, or pouch type, the interiors are alike. (In this illustrated slice, only the relative layer thicknesses are drawn to scale.) Here are the main parts: (a) cathode metal (often aluminum foil), (b) cathode material (a solid powder compound, containing metals such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, or others), (c) porous polymer separator, (d) anode material (such as graphite), and (e) anode metal (typically copper). A very important liquid or gel called the electrolyte infiltrates the outer spaces in the cathode material (b), goes through the pores of the separator (c), and fills in the spaces around the anode material (d). The electrolyte, made of lithium salts and organic compounds, provides the physical path for the lithium ions to shuttle back and forth between (b) and (d) during charging and discharging.
How do the electrode materials work? Let’s take a brief look just at the anode material in this next figure. Can you imagine pouring water onto a sponge and having the sponge soak up the water? That’s kind of what happens with lithium ions and the anode material during charging. When charged, lithium ions wedge themselves between the atomic layers in the anode material. During discharge (energy being used), the lithium ions go back to the cathode, from where they came.
Image credits: We made the drawing of graphite using Nanotube Modeler
A cartoon of the lithium ion. With the atomic number 3, it is one of the lightest elements, and is the lightest metal. The ion on the right, meaning the atom without the outer electron, can be released within the lithium ion cell. These ions enable the energy storage and discharge mechanisms within the cell.
What makes lithium ion cells great? For their weight, they can hold a lot of energy by storing electric charge, meaning they are dense energy storage devices. This makes them perfect for cell phones, laptop computers, rechargeable watches and earbuds, electric drills and mowers, and yes, even electric vehicles.
As for any drawbacks? This charge/discharge process is reversible, the cell becoming only just a little worse for the gradual wear and tear that happens to the anode material over much time and many charging cycles. With all electronic devices, Li-Ion rechargeable cells need to be operated within the normally-expected ranges of temperatures, voltages, currents, humidities, etc. When used for non-vehicle use, they’ll do just fine by themselves. However, real life requires a vehicle to accelerate (start) and decelerate (brake).
If we want to use lithium ion cells in vehicles, then we find they are not ideal alone because they cannot be charged and discharged as quickly as the vehicles demand. But have no fear; supercapacitors are here to save the day!
Fast, Efficient, and Powerful: The Supercapacitor Boost for Batteries
What are supercapacitors? In some sense, they are a bit like simplified lithium-ion cells. There are many of the same parts inside, made a bit differently. Supercapacitors rely on a different mechanism or principle of storing charge. Instead of stuffing lithium ions inside of a graphite crystal as is done with lithium-ion cells, ions are still used in supercapacitors, but all of the storage of the ions is done on top of very rough surfaces. In other words, the ions go onto the surfaces of the anode and cathode, but they do not go inside.
Let’s review the parts inside of a supercapacitor and get a visual on what one looks like when manufacturing is complete:
A cartoon of a supercapacitor shown in cut-away view and as a finished product. Here are the parts: (a) anode metal foil support, (b) anode material (often something like fine particulate carbon), (c) electrolyte region, (d) porous insulating separator, (e) cathode region, (f) cathode metal foil support. Next to that expanded diagram, we illustrate what the finished product looks like, after it has been rolled up and put into its package, a sealed can.
When we zoom in, and we take a look at the active areas at the surfaces of the electrodes, the real magic of supercapacitors is revealed! SPOILER ALERT: If you don’t want to know how they work, then DO NOT LOOK at the next image!
Assuming you want to know, the two surfaces get covered with charged ions from the electrolyte covering them. The measure of how much electric charge they can store is called the “capacitance,” and it is measured by a unit called the Farad. From physics, we learn that a simple algebra equation allows us to calculate capacitance:
This equation tells us the greater the area of the two plates or electrodes, the higher the capacitance will be. It also says that the closer the two layers of charge are kept, the higher the capacitance will be. Each surface of the supercapacitor attracts ions, meaning a layer of charge. The distance is extremely tiny between the ions in the electrolyte and the corresponding charges within the electrodes. Not only that, but because the surfaces are made very rough on the microscopic scale, the electrodes have a very high surface area. Wow! The area and the distance in the equation above have been adjusted to max out the capacitance!
Here are the parts: (a) anode metal foil support, (b) anode material (often something like fine particulate carbon), (c) electrolyte region, (d) porous insulating separator, (e) cathode region, (f) cathode metal foil support.
Now we know why supercapacitors can complement the behavior of lithium-ion cells. When supercaps are called on to release their charge and therefore energy, the charge just has to leave the electrode surfaces, and voila!, you’ve got your stored energy back, pronto. You just can’t do that for long, because there’s only so much charge stored on the surfaces.
The next plot, called a “Ragone Plot,” shows the complementary behaviors of lithium ion cells and supercapacitors. Lithium ion cells and supercapacitors are good at different things. The cells can store a lot of energy (high energy density), but cannot move it in and out easily, compared to supercapacitors. The supercaps, on the other hand, cannot store a lot of energy, but what they store they can move in and out briskly (high power density). Their behaviors overlap a little. Just imagine what they could do working together!
A plot comparing how much energy and power different devices can store. Lithium ion cells and supercapacitors are good at different things. The cells have high energy density, and the supercaps, on the other hand, have high power density.
Image credit: Supercapacitors: An Efficient Way for Energy
Here are some photographs of supercapacitors made by Paul Dennig Jr. for his science fair entry in 2015. He compared different electrode patterns for making what are called “lateral supercapacitors.”
The left/top image shows four different electrode arrangements, patterned in graphene oxide.
The right/bottom image shows the completed cells, with electrolyte on top.
The first image shows Paul’s project board for a lead-acid-battery electric bicycle that would use regenerative braking. That means it was made to capture the energy from the drive motor to help slow down. The energy would be stored in an array of supercapacitors (shown in the second image). That energy would be ready to help you accelerate, when you are ready to go again.
Putting Them Together: The System for an Electric Vehicle
As you can imagine, there is more design work, building and testing to do before you can power a vehicle with lithium-ion cells and supercapacitors. First, and very important, is that you need an electronic supervisor or manager of these storage units, as we said before, to monitor the temperature, voltages, and currents, to make sure all components are operated within their safe operating limits. The portion for the battery is typically called a Battery Management System or BMS for short.
The cells and supercapacitors will not be strong enough by themselves individually to power the vehicle, so you’ll need to gang them together. This is done by making careful choices of desired voltages and currents. Usually, cells need to be combined in electrical connections called “series” and “parallel” circuits, in order to make batteries, modules, or even packs (types listed in order of size, small to large). A similar design process would be done to assemble the best combination of supercapacitors. Once those sizes of assemblies are calculated, then a master controller needs to work with the BMS we mentioned, to take care of the proper connections of devices, with proper signals and power sent to the drive train motor(s). Whew! A lot of very, very fun and creative work. And let’s recall that safety is always the most important concern.
But wait! There’s more! What about the charging circuits? The most wonderfully-designed e-vehicle in the world will go nowhere, if it has not been charged! You’re probably thinking, “man, do I need to worry about plugging things in?” And you’d be right! We may be so busy that we forget to take care of charging, just when we need it most!
For e-automobiles, yes, you do have to pay attention to charging. Plus, you’ll need to monitor the health of your battery pack to make sure it’s o.k. as time goes by.
For smaller vehicles, though, a nice alternative approach exists. What if you could swap out your run-down battery, and slip in a freshly charged one? This is actually being done for scooters today, by applying the benefits of a vending machine approach.
A vending machine approach to replacing e-motor-scooter batteries. With a kiosk, like a vending machine, you bring your depleted pull-out battery to the machine, enter your information, put in the old and take out the new battery to fit back into your scooter. You don’t have to monitor the battery’s health in the charger; they’ll do it for you. You’re off and running in 6 seconds, they claim!
Image Credit: Gogoro
Mr. Allan Gray’s startup takes the vending machine approach beyond scooters and applies it to something more practical for the Philippines’ outlying islands—electric tricycles. Unlike scooters, e-trikes are affordable, efficient, and better suited for carrying passengers and cargo. By combining solar-charged batteries, supercapacitors, and a quick-swap system, his innovation makes clean transportation accessible without long charging times. This smart solution could transform island mobility, proving that sustainable energy isn’t just possible—it’s practical.
3. About the Interviewee
Mr. Allan Gray is a geologist and electrical geophysicist with a deep-rooted interest in solar energy, sparked during his childhood in northern British Columbia. Growing up, he helped install solar panels on mountaintops to power radio towers, bringing the internet to remote logging camps and Native reserves. The solar panels were crucial during the harsh winter months when sunlight was scarce, and vertical solar panels were used to maximize energy collection. This early exposure to renewable energy and the challenges posed by climate change, such as the mountain pine beetle infestation, shaped his career path. Mr. Gray moved to the Philippines with the vision of developing solar electric transportation systems, believing it was an ideal country for such innovations. His company, sunE, aims to accelerate the transition to solar and electrified transportation in Southeast Asia. After running a pilot solar-electric tricycle shuttle service from 2016 to 2020, sunE shifted focus to developing a Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS) to enhance low-speed electric vehicle operations. Additionally, they are advancing research in quantum information and energy harvesting.
4. The Impact of Solar Batteries on Equity and Sustainability
Solar-charged batteries are a transformative technology in addressing environmental equity and sustainability, particularly for underserved communities and those seeking to reduce their carbon footprints. By harnessing solar power and storing it for later use, these systems offer a cost-effective and sustainable solution to energy challenges while promoting a more equitable future.
1. Access to Clean Energy in Underserved Communities
Solar-charged batteries enable even the most isolated areas to access clean, sustainable power without relying on expensive grid infrastructure. This is especially important for off-grid regions where extending power lines is impractical. With solar and battery storage, these communities can leapfrog traditional energy systems, providing affordable, locally generated energy while reducing dependence on fossil fuels. It also enhances resilience in disaster-prone areas, such as Puerto Rico, where solar-powered systems have been used to rebuild energy infrastructure after Hurricane Maria, ensuring continuity of power during outages. This decentralization of energy production fosters climate resilience and supports environmental justice.
Case Study: Puerto Rico’s Solar Recovery After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico in 2017, the island faced prolonged power outages and struggled to restore its electrical grid. In response, several communities turned to solar-charged battery systems to rebuild their energy infrastructure. Projects like Solar Libre, a community-led initiative, have successfully installed solar panels and battery storage in homes and essential services, ensuring reliable power during emergencies. These systems not only provide clean energy but also improve the island’s resilience against future storms, offering a model for other disaster-prone areas.
2. Lower Energy Costs and Economic Equity
For many low-income households, high energy costs are a significant burden. Solar-charged batteries help by storing energy during the day and using it during peak hours when electricity prices are highest, resulting in lower energy bills. This not only helps families save money but also reduces reliance on the grid during expensive times. Moreover, the growth of solar energy systems stimulates local economies by creating green jobs in installation, maintenance, and operation, especially in areas with limited job opportunities.
3. Recycling for All — Minimizing Our Impact
A huge topic important for all species on Earth is, “How do we create and encourage a circular economy?” This means we try not to just dispose of equipment that has reached its end of useful life by throwing it away. Instead, we should only create new products that are designed to be reused and/or recycled. For example, there are more than a dozen lithium-ion cell recycling companies in the world. A browser search will reveal them. The electronics industry as a whole can always do a much better job of creating reusable/recyclable products. Did you know that there is roughly a Queen Mary 2‘s worth in weight of electronics disposed of every day? We’re talking about 16 U.S. pounds of electronic waste, or e-waste, per person on Earth, per year, for almost 8 billion people. Moreover, we need to steer away from the use of minerals and materials that harm species. We can also make products last longer and be smaller is size and weight. Can you become part of a team that invents the next battery technology? You bet you can! The mission is to reduce pollution, including carbon to keep our temperatures down, as well as anything toxic, and to reduce stress on people and our habitats.
5. Setting the Stage for Your Future
Check out these 5 exciting college degrees that can kickstart your career in the fast-growing field of solar-powered batteries!
1. Electrical Engineering
- Summary: Focuses on designing and developing electrical systems, including solar panels, supercapacitors, and battery storage. Students learn about circuits, power systems, and energy conversion, which are essential for solar-powered batteries. Understanding digital control circuits using micro-controllers is a plus.
- Key Skills: Circuit design, energy storage, power systems.
2. Renewable Energy Engineering
- Summary: Specializes in designing and optimizing renewable energy systems, with an emphasis on solar power and energy storage solutions. Students learn how to integrate solar technologies with battery systems for sustainable energy use.
- Key Skills: Solar energy, battery storage, system design.
3. Materials Science and Engineering
- Summary: Covers the properties and development of materials used in solar panels and batteries. Students work with materials like semiconductors and polymers to improve energy storage and efficiency.
- Key Skills: Battery chemistry, solar panel materials, energy storage technologies.
4. Chemical Engineering, Chemistry
- Summary: Focuses on the chemical processes behind energy storage, including battery technology and fuel cells. Students learn about electrochemistry and how materials interact to store and release energy.
- Key Skills: Electrochemistry, battery design, renewable energy processes.
5. Mechanical Engineering
- Summary: Covers the design and optimization of energy systems, including solar-powered vehicles and storage devices. Mechanical engineers in this field focus on the integration of solar panels, batteries, and mechanical systems.
- Key Skills: Thermodynamics, energy systems design, system integration.
These degrees offer the technical expertise needed for careers in solar-powered battery technology and renewable energy.
Now that you know which college degrees can fuel your career in solar-powered batteries, here are 5 essential steps you can take in high school to get ahead!
1. Focus on Key Subjects
- Math and Science: Excel in math (algebra, calculus) and science (especially physics and chemistry) to build a strong foundation for understanding energy systems and battery technology.
2. Get Hands-On Experience
- Join STEM Clubs or Competitions: Participate in clubs or competitions like robotics or science fairs, which give practical experience in problem-solving and technology.
3. Learn Basic Coding and Electronics
- Explore Programming and Electronics: Start learning programming languages (like Python) and basic electronics (such as using a multimeter and building simple circuits) to understand how solar-powered devices and energy storage systems work.
4. Seek Internships or Volunteer Work
- Get Involved in Renewable Energy Projects: Look for internship or volunteer opportunities with renewable energy companies or organizations, gaining real-world experience in solar or battery technology.
5. Stay Informed and Network
- Follow Industry Trends: Stay up-to-date on solar energy and battery innovations by reading articles, watching videos, and connecting with professionals in the field to learn more about the industry.
These steps will help you build the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary for a career in solar-powered batteries and renewable energy!
6. Glossary
- Greenhouse gas – Sometimes abbreviated “GHG.” Like the glass window panes of a greenhouse for growing plants, a GHG in our atmosphere helps keep the heat in, which is not good. Vehicles with gasoline and diesel fuels produce GHG’s. Electric vehicles do not make GHG’s during operation.
- Solar cell – Also known as a photovoltaic cell, it converts sunlight to electric charges and current. It only works when light shines on it, but the energetic charges it creates can be taken and stored in other devices, such as rechargeable batteries, to do work at a later time.
- Rechargeable battery – This electronic device is not the fastest-charging storage device, but it can hold a lot of electric charge, making a tank of energy ready to do work.
- Supercapacitor – This electronic device may not be the best at storing a lot of energy, but it can take in and give back out the electric current very quickly. They can be used when accelerating or braking vehicles, for example, to help out batteries.
- e-Trike – A machine that combines rechargeable batteries, possibly supercapacitors, and an electric drive motor to make a large tricycle vehicle run, built for at least two people.
- Battery swap station – A place where you can remove a spent or discharged battery from an apparatus, like from an e-Trike, and replace the battery or batteries with freshly charged and healthy ones.
- Single cell – The smallest complete storage unit inside a battery.
- Capacitors – The simplest version of electronic device that has two parallel plates to store electrical energy.
- Lithium-ion cell – A popular kind of rechargeable single cell used to make batteries, modules, and packs.
- Electrolyte – A liquid or gel, ionic in nature, required to make certain electronic devices work. They are needed inside batteries and supercapacitors.
- Electrode – There are usually two of these inside of a battery cell or supercapacitor, parallel to each other. One electrode is for the plus (+) side and the other for the minus (-) side, to emit charges or collect charges. Inside of a lithium-ion cell, the + side material is called the cathode material, and the – side is called the anode material.
- Battery Management System, BMS – The electronic controller that continuously monitors the temperature, voltage, and current of the single cells within a battery, a battery module, or a battery pack, to ensure that desired operating conditions are maintained for the longest life and for safety.
- Master controller – This is the highest-level controller in an apparatus, making decisions and electrical connections, for example, among supercapacitors and battery packs and drive motors and external charging circuits, etc.
- Charging circuit – This power electronics circuit is usually external to the apparatus holding the battery storage, and is stationary. You separate the charging connection when the battery is charged.
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