E103: Every battery tech in the pool

We’re wrapping up the Smart Grid Series with a rocket scientist who thinks the next big thing in batteries might actually be … zinc.

My guest is Mike Burz, co-founder and CEO of Enzinc, which is commercializing a zinc “sponge” anode developed with the U.S. Navy. The breakthrough: solving the dendrite problem that has historically killed rechargeable zinc batteries. The result? A safe, recyclable, low-cost chemistry that could power everything from scooters to data centers — and replace lead-acid or nickel-cadmium in millions of applications.

We cover:

• Why storage is the foundation of a renewable grid
• The Navy’s quest for a battery as safe as lead acid, but with the energy of lithium
• How a metal sponge structure prevents dendrites and enables true rechargeability
• Why zinc is abundant, cheap, and fully recyclable — unlike lithium
• The “Intel Inside” business model: supplying drop-in anodes to existing manufacturers
• First demos: e-bikes, golf carts, and telecom backup
• Longer-term possibilities: zinc-air chemistries for aviation and long-duration storage
• Why this is not about killing lithium but about giving the grid (and vehicles) safer, more appropriate options

Links & resources:

• Enzinc — https://enzinc.com/
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Smart Grid Series recap:

• E101: Flow batteries with XL Batteries
• E102: Synthetic inertia & reliability with Wärtsilä
• E103 (this episode): Rechargeable zinc with Enzinc

Next week, we shift gears — from storage to deployment — with printed solar that could go just about anywhere. 🌞

Together, we can get this done.

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