As you would expect, the energy storage industry is being fueled by the emergence of wearable electronic devices and Internet of Things (IoT) products, because they demand thinness and flexibility. These needs add a new force to current prevalent market drivers such as cost reduction and power/energy density increases.
A new report from IDTechEx – Flexible, Printed and Thin Film Batteries 2015-2025 forecasts that thin and flexible energy storage devices will create a market in excess of $300M by 2024. However, the market will undergo a major transformation, so that by 2024 it will look drastically different from its current state. The report says that major new markets will rise to prominence during the course of the coming decade, opening the door to new technologies and bringing with them new winners.
The research provides detailed technology assessments and benchmarking, ten-year market forecasts segmented by application and technology type, and detailed interview-based business intelligence and profiles on key players and large end-users from a variety of sectors.
Changing composition of the thin and flexible batteries market
The new interest is mainly driven by the emergence of new and attractive market categories such as wearable devices, consumer electronics and IoT. Previously, the business landscape was mostly cluttered with small firms focused on disparate and niche applications, now many big players are developing their own technologies, striking up partnerships, or scooping up IP portfolios to gain a foothold in the supply chain for these emerging categories.
Thin and flexible energy storage devices can refer to a multitude of technologies including (1) thin lithium batteries, (2) thin film lithium polymer batteries, (3) curved lithium ion batteries, (4) thin flexible supercapacitors, and (5) zinc-based batteries. Each technology has a different package of attributes and is thus useful for different markets. Betting on the right solution is the challenge.
At the same time, a diverse variety of non-overlapping target markets exist. The main addressable markets include wearable devices, IoT, RFID, consumer electronics, medical devices, skin patches, and more. Each segment needs different price points, form factors, power densities, lifetimes, processing conditions, etc, and thus the solution in each market will be different.
Wearable devices will come in many shapes and forms, but the largest cross-section of applications will require high energy sources therefore thin and flexible lithium batteries will have the highest potential. Skin patches are already a commercial reality. Here, printed zinc batteries have the highest potential although price needs to fall further.
Lithium phosphorus oxynitride- (LiPON-) based batteries are most promising for many medical diagnostic devices and back-up systems as these applications require stable, long life time, safe and high capacity sources. Coin cells will be hard to displace in the active and battery assisted passive RFID market unless there is a stringent need for laminarity such as in car number plates. Battery-powered smart cards are now an old idea but the technology is now ready to deploy en mass provided costs are further reduced. The risk here, though, is the mobile phones will first solve the problems that smart cards want to address.
The types and applications for flexible batteries
The technologies covered in the report include:
• Printed Zn based battery
• Thin lithium battery
• Thin film lithium polymer battery
• Curved lithium ion battery
• Thin flexible supercapacitors
The end-use applications covered are:
• Battery-assisted passive RFID
• Smart card
• Wireless sensor(s)/networks
• Smart packaging
• Medical cosmetic disposable
• Medical device
• Interactive media, toys, games & cards
• Wearable
• Backup power
• Portable electronics
• Energy harvesting
For details see the report at www.IDTechEx.com/flex
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