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I think the future of cheap, low emission electricity will come from some form of Nuclear Batteries. Unlike Fusion, a nuclear battery doesn't have the high up front, continuous power investment to realize a net gain, it's power investment is only in manufacturing.
The primary hurdle to nuclear batteries is that they have very low power output and low peak output (unlike chemical batteries that achieve much higher power peak outputs, but far lower lifetime output), but the lifetime power density is through the roof for nuclear batteries.
I'd argue that the best solution is to create powerplants that are hybrids of the two, with a large bank of betavoltaic batteries sufficient to output a target watt/hour, that then feeds into a more standard chemical battery front end. As I see it, this is the best of both worlds because you get the uninterrupted power output for 100+ years from the betavoltaic reaction with the high peak outputs of modern batteries.
With this long term power source in place you can then incorporate less reliable low emission supplemental power, like photovoltaics, that would only be required to fill deficits due to short term, higher draw events.
Conversely, a home-based generator could use the Photovoltaic+Battery front end for peak output during the day, and use the betavoltaic generator to fill performance gaps due to unreliable solar input. This method would also make solar power a more reliable source of power at higher latitudes where solar power struggles.
The primary hurdle to nuclear batteries is that they have very low power output and low peak output (unlike chemical batteries that achieve much higher power peak outputs, but far lower lifetime output), but the lifetime power density is through the roof for nuclear batteries.
I'd argue that the best solution is to create powerplants that are hybrids of the two, with a large bank of betavoltaic batteries sufficient to output a target watt/hour, that then feeds into a more standard chemical battery front end. As I see it, this is the best of both worlds because you get the uninterrupted power output for 100+ years from the betavoltaic reaction with the high peak outputs of modern batteries.
With this long term power source in place you can then incorporate less reliable low emission supplemental power, like photovoltaics, that would only be required to fill deficits due to short term, higher draw events.
Conversely, a home-based generator could use the Photovoltaic+Battery front end for peak output during the day, and use the betavoltaic generator to fill performance gaps due to unreliable solar input. This method would also make solar power a more reliable source of power at higher latitudes where solar power struggles.
