Toward the Progression of Sustainable Structural Batteries: State-of-the-Art Review

<div>In order to deploy renewable energy sources for balanced power generation and consumption, batteries are crucial. The large weight and significant drain on the energy efficiency of conventional batteries urge the development of structural batteries storing electrical energy in load-bearing structural components. With the current shift to a green economy and growing demand for batteries, it is increasingly important to find sustainable solutions for structural batteries as well. Sustainable structural batteries (SSBs) have strong attraction due to their lightweight, design flexibility, high energy efficiency, and reduced impact on the environment. Along with sustainability, these structural batteries increase volumetric energy density, resulting in a 20% increase in efficiency and incorporate energy storage capabilities with structural components, realizing the concept of massless energy storage. However, the significant problems in commercializing SSBs are associated with their discharge cycles, raw materials, cost, and safety. To overcome these issues, exploring the different structural batteries in the context of sustainable manufacturing, applications, challenges, and current research for SSBs is essential. Hence, in this study, the different aspects of structural batteries regarding sustainability and future development, especially in transportation applications, are reviewed.</div>