February 22nd, 2008

By John DeFore

Rechargeable batteries are a boon to cost-conscious consumers and waste-watching environmentalists alike, but even some have drawbacks. Most rechargeables, for instance, have a fairly high “self-discharge” rate, meaning that they lose power even when not in use. As a result, consumers may leave them plugged into wall chargers for long periods so they’ll be juiced when needed — meaning they draw far more power from wall sockets than they deliver to users’ devices.

Sanyo’s eneloop line is a big step forward on this front. Although they use familiar Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) chemistry, they’re engineered to hold a charge far longer than other Ni-MH batteries; where a normal rechargeable can run down completely if stored for a year, an eneloop can retain 85% of its original charge over that period.

That means, among other things, that they can be sent to retailers fully charged; buyers can put them to use immediately, no small factor in the instant-gratification marketplace. They also don’t suffer the “memory effect,” a syndrome in which conventional rechargeable batteries can, through certain usage patterns, grow incapable of holding the full charge for which they were designed.

Sanyo claims each battery has a lifespan of 1000 charges; like other batteries, the eneloop should be recycled when it no longer works. When it comes to recycling, though, the product’s design does some of the work in advance: Rather than selling four sizes of battery, Sanyo produces only the two smallest (AA and AAA) and makes shell-like adapters for C- and D-battery uses — reducing the inventory of batteries users need to keep on hand.

Sadly, electronics manufacturers may keep the eneloop from living up to its full potential: The battery’s chemistry is designed to be “highly recommended” for use in digital cameras, but many current pocket-sized cameras (like cell phones, MP3 players, and so many other electronics) use their own proprietary batteries, which in turn require their own chargers.

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media