How scientists turn lakes into giant batteries episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 6, 2026 · 8 MIN

How scientists turn lakes into giant batteries

from TED-Ed · host TED-Ed

Discover the world’s biggest battery and explore how inventors are creating other giant batteries to help power the world— sustainably. --As of 2020, the world’s biggest lithium-ion battery is hooked up to the Southern California power grid and can provide enough power for about 250,000 homes. But it's actually not the biggest battery in the world: a pair of lakes are. How can lakes be a battery? Explore how inventors are rethinking what a battery can be, and how these surprising solutions could help us achieve a sustainable future.Directed by Lisa LaBracio. Animation and art direction by Luísa M H Copetti & Hype CG.In partnership with Bill Gates, inspired by his book "How To Avoid A Climate Disaster": http://bit.ly/PlanForZeroCheck out the videos in this series: http://bit.ly/TEDEdClimateSupport Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: ​http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: ​http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-powerful-is-the-world-s-biggest-batteryDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-powerful-is-the-world-s-biggest-battery#digdeeperAnimator's website: https://www.hype.cg/Music: https://soundcloud.com/aim-music----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Aaron Henson, Cailin Ramsey, Begum Tutuncu, Ever Granada, Brian Richards, Divina Grace Dar Santos, Cindy O., Jørgen Østerpart, Tyron Jung, Carolyn Corwin, Charlene You, Carsten Tobehn, Katie Dean, Ezgi Yersu, Gerald Onyango, alessandra tasso, Alan Froese, Côme Vincent, Doreen Reynolds-Consolati, Manognya Chakrapani, Ayala Ron, Samantha Chow, Eunsun Kim, Phyllis Dubrow, Ophelia Gibson Best, Paul Schneider, Joichiro Yamada, Henrique 'Sorín' Cassús, Lyn-z Schulte, Elaine Fitzpatrick, Karthik Cherala, Joshua Merchant, Clarence E. Harper Jr., Clarissa Bartolini-Toro, Exal Enrique Cisneros Tuch, Srikote Naewchampa, Tejas Dc, Khalifa Alhulail, Martin Stephen, Dan Paterniti, Jose Henrique Leopoldo e Silva, Elnathan Joshua Bangayan, Jayant Sahewal, Mandeep Singh, Abhijit Kiran Valluri, Morgan Williams, Kris Siverhus, Devin Harris, Joy Love Om and Pavel Zalevskiy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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How scientists turn lakes into giant batteries

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