慶應義塾大学 - 電気自動車研究室
Research Topic : Environmental Issues and Next-Generation Energy Systems
Key Elemental Technologies
Humankind has made remarkable discoveries in its efforts to resolve global problems.
People are now working to introduce many kinds of renewable energy forms, all of which stem from solar energy.
Solar cells are at the very top of the list, since testing based on numerous criteria has proven them to be the most advanced form of renewable energy. They are particularly valued for their high efficiency, since they enable us to gain electric energy directly from the sun.
If solar cells were installed on 1.5% of the earth’s land surface, the world’s population would have the energy abundance now enjoyed in the U.S.
However, solar cells alone will not provide electricity at night or on rainy days.
To address this problem, in 1986 Akira Yoshino invented the lithium-ion battery. Since the mid-1990s, lithium-ion batteries have been used in mobile phones and PCs. In the 21st century, bigger versions capable of storing large amounts of energy have been commercialized for use in electric vehicles. Using this technology, the world’s electrical energy resources can be temporarily stored.
In this way, electricity will become the basic energy not only in fields where it has been used up to now, but also in areas such as domestic heating and other heat-related applications, automobiles, and steel-making.