Connecting solar and wind energy sources to the electrical grid requires batteries that can store large amounts of energy created at the source. Lithium ion batteries perform well, but are too expensive for widespread use on the grid, as the number of batteries needed is high, and they would likely have to be large. The next best option is sodium ion batteries, but they currently need to run in temperatures above 300 degrees Celsius, making them less energy efficient and safe. Now, researchers from the United States Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and visiting researchers from Wuhan University, China, have developed a method that improves the electrical capacity and recharging lifetime of sodium ion rechargeable batteries by using nanomaterials to make electrodes that can work with sodium. Jun Liu, a chemist at PNNL, said, “The sodium-ion battery works at room temperature and uses sodium ions, an ingredient in cooking salt. So it will be much cheaper and safer.” The team used manganese oxide nanomaterials for the electrodes and found that the material held up well to cycles of charging and discharging, as would occur in consumer use.