For the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Karyn Hede (@KarynHede) writes about the lab’s new flow battery, which maintained its ability to store and release energy for more than a year of continuous charge and discharge — a record.Designed for energy storage on the electrical grid, this type of liquid-based battery is critical for storing excess energy from renewable sources for when it is needed, she writes. The PNNL team’s new design, unlike existing flow battery types, uses a simple sugar to boost the battery’s lifespan and capacity. Photo by Andrea Starr | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory