What is CLiMBS Explorer?
The Costs of Li Metal Battery Scenario (CLiMBS) Explorer is a technoeconomic model designed for industry, researchers, and policymakers to explore the impacts from different design configurations, production scales, manufacturing considerations, and economic inputs on the costs of lithium metal batteries.
Background: Why CLiMBS Explorer?
The development of lightweight energy storage over the last several decades has revolutionized society as we know it. To further enable the next generation of transformative technologies, scientists and industry must continue developing ever lighter, higher-performing batteries.
Lithium metal batteries are an important stepping stone along this path as they achieve improved specific energies (400+ Wh/kg) compared to today’s Li-ion batteries (~250 Wh/kg) while sharing key design components with emerging energy storage technologies. Understanding the cost and performance drivers of lithium metal batteries can help identify necessary design innovations and manufacturing decisions needed to accelerate their commercialization while informing policy and investment decisions to establish a robust, advanced battery sector in the United States.
What does CLiMBS Explorer do?
The CLiMBS Explorer allows users to specify cell-level component design, manufacturing technology characteristics, and economic parameters to explore their impacts on lithium metal battery production costs. Through direct scenario comparison, users can identify key cost drivers and explore the necessary design advancements and manufacturing choices to achieve cost and performance targets for lithium metal batteries. The CLiMBS Explorer combines bottom-up and top-down technoeconomic methodologies, validated by industry stakeholders, to enable these rigorous analyses.
How should CLiMBS Explorer be used?
The CLiMBS Explorer should be used to evaluate and compare decision making scenarios for the development of lithium metal batteries. Researchers can use the model to explore how design changes to cell components can contribute towards achieving lithium metal battery cost and performance targets. Manufacturers can compare different production technologies and choices to identify pathways towards the commercialization of low-cost lithium metal batteries. Policy makers can use the CLiMBS Explorer to identify cost drivers and manufacturing bottlenecks, helping to guide research efforts and investment decisions.
Who can access CLiMBS Explorer?
CLiMBS Explorer is a publicly available research tool and free to use.
Resources
- Access the Data Repository
- Download the User Manual for CLiMBS Explorer
Featured Publications (just an example below)
