# Megawatt Yacht Batteries Smart-Grid Technology for Eco-Extravagance By Katie Cordrey | Published 2009-09-26 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/megawatt-batteries References: [livemodern](http://livemodern.com/greenblogs/3516de113aeaad7301ccd47051419d76/) & [nation-e](http://www.nation-e.com/) Micro Finance Investment AG, a Swiss-based private equity fund, has announced that its battery company Nation-E is already in production slated for the market in 2010. A 1-megawatt battery could be a key component in storage system design for a smart grid application and renewable energy production. One of the barriers to making full use of solar and wind energy is the ability to [store energy](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/home-energy-storage-system) when the sun goes down or the wind stops blowing. [Traditional batteries have limited capacity](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/graphene-dispersions) and are expensive to produce if they are to be large enough to be capable of storing a significant amount of energy. It seems that Nation-E has cracked the technological nut; the only disappointment is that the first planned real-world application is to be installed on luxury yachts. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.5/10 - Popularity: 37% | Activity: 60% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Renewable Energy Storage:** Opportunity to develop advanced battery technologies for efficient storage of solar and wind energy. - **Smart Grid Applications:** Potential to integrate 1-megawatt batteries in smart grid systems for optimized renewable energy production and distribution. - **Micro Finance Investment:** Emerging trend of private equity funds investing in battery technologies to support renewable energy solutions. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Battery Manufacturing:** Disruptive innovation opportunity to produce larger capacity and more cost-effective batteries for renewable energy storage. - **Luxury Yacht:** An industry that can benefit from adopting eco-friendly smart-grid technologies to reduce reliance on traditional power sources. - **Private Equity:** Opportunity for private equity firms to invest in battery companies and support the development and commercialization of renewable energy solutions. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Scaleable Home Battery Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/home-power-system.md) - [Semi-Fixed Energy Storage Units](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sunshare-technology.md) - [Sustainable Metal-Hydrogen Batteries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/enervenue.md) - [Battery-Packed Wind Farm Ships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/powerx.md) - [Large-Scale Energy Storage Installations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/energy-storage-installations.md) - [Home Energy Storage Solutions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/home-energy-storage-solutions.md) - [Advanced Energy Storage Solutions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/advanced-energy-storage-solution.md) - [Solar-Powered Private Catamarans](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/zen50.md) - [Comprehensive Energy Storage Systems](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/battery-cell.md)