Environmental assessment of vanadium redox and lead-acid batteries for stationary energy storage

The environmental impact of both the vanadium redox battery (vanadium battery) and the lead-acid battery for use in stationary applications has been evaluated using a life cycle assessment approach. In this study, the calculated environmental impact was lower for the vanadium battery than for the lead-acid one. The net energy storage efficiency of the vanadium battery was greater due to lower primary energy needs during the life cycle. Favourable characteristics such as long cycle-life, good availability of resources and recycling ability justify the development and commercialisation of the vanadium battery.