The Pros and Cons of using Vanadium

According to this article that I found via http://www.worldgreen.org/home/wg-feature-articles/5449-vanadium-supercharges-sustainability.html, there is a transition metal called Vanadium that has the potential to greatly improve the amount of energy that can be stored from solar and wind farms.

There is proof that wind farms generate a massive amount of energy at peak hours, but much of this energy is wasted due to the fact that we do not have a good way of storing it. Similarly, when the sun is down or not shining, solar power cannot be harnessed and energy is lost. Batteries enhanced by Vanadium can store a great amount of energy produced by these methods and distribute it during the hours of little production.

Vanadium can be used to enhance batteries of any size, effectively revolutionizing the sustainable energy sector and electric vehicles. These batteries can also be charged much quicker than traditional lithium-ion batteries.

Now there is a catch. Vanadium is a very scarce substance. If Vanadium begins to catch on, it will be difficult to produce enough to meet demands, since it's not only used to enhance battery efficiency but in the strengthening of steel alloys as well. The U.S. gets its majority of Vanadium as a by-product from the extraction of other materials or overseas exporters. China will likely receive one of the largest benefits from the new technology, considering the fact that they are one of the world's largest exporters of Vanadium. BYD Company Ltd., an auto manufacturer in China, has already begun incorporating these efficient batteries into their future lines of electric cars. On an environmental stance, the use of Vanadium may be neutralized by the destructive mining processes used to obtain it. However, as technology continues to advance and other countries continue to develop a steadier supply, Vanadium may revolutionize renewable energy.

 I cite all of my sources from the link mentioned at the beginning of this post. However, I decided to do a bit of my own digging to see if the article was very reliable, considering nothing was properly cited. The citations would have taken me all night and more to find, but I did find some other articles to back it up.

This article can be found all over the place.
http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page72102?oid=118311&sn=Detail&pid=72102

A little something about the economic outlook of Vanadium.
http://www.australian-shares.com/forums/discussion/6350/intermin-resources-the-key-to-the-holy-grail-of-renewable-energy

A website dedicated to the stuff.
http://www.ceic.unsw.edu.au/centers/vrb/

Also, it may be good to check this out. Apparently there's a better technology that puts Vanadium to shame.
http://newenergyandfuel.com/http:/newenergyandfuel/com/2010/04/29/get-ready-for-the-super-ultra-capacitor/

http://www.rapidonline.com/latestnews.aspx?id=800047785&tier1=Industry&title=Hong+Kong+trials+super+capacitor+buses

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_double-layer_capacitor