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A recent breakthrough by scientists from NUS and University College Cork may mean the arrival of highly energy-efficient smart phones and tablets that can last up to 10 times their usual life.

If you're wondering when the grid storage market will take off and when your utility can safely dip its toe, Lux Research says the time is now. Although the sector did only $200 million worldwide in 2012, it is set to leap to more than $10 billion by 2017, at least according to Lux Research.

More than a decade of investment in renewable power generators such as wind farms and solar parks has failed to make the world’s supply of energy any cleaner than it was 20 years ago, according to the global energy watchdog.

To improve energy efficiency, companies are increasingly researching into new methods of reducing losses during energy transmission and generation. High-temperature superconductors (HTS) have been ranked amongst the most effective technologies being developed. Besides this, the growing trend towards new power generation sources and smart grids are the main market drivers for superconducting components such as cables, generators, and storage systems.

“The demand for more portable and distributed technologies is becoming the foundation for modern society,” says research director Kerry-Ann Adamson.  “However, demand for energy storage in cleantech applications, particularly electrified transportation, has not emerged as strongly as anticipated, presenting challenges for the lithium ion battery industry.  Despite these challenges, emerging technologies from university laboratories and startup companies around the world will address the core problems in the battery industry.”