Earth Friendly Goodies If it's Good for the Earth it's Good for Your Health I was spelunking in South America just this morning, I had my trusty high powered flashlight packed and ready for use when I heard the distinctive screech of an awakened and very thirsty colony of Desmodus rotundus, that’s vampire bats to those not familiar with these fierce man eating creatures. (ok they aren’t man eating but work with me here it’s my story and I’m sticking to it)
I reached for my trusty Maglite to protect myself with its hot bright glow to throw off the specialized thermoreceptors on the bats nose, only to find to my horror the Energizers were dead – as I soon would be too if I didn’t find another means of escape.
Fortunately for me I had planned ahead – I reached for my PowerGenix NiZN rechargeable batteries loaded my Maglite like a wild west gunslinger and blasted myself out of trouble faster than you can say Environmentally friendly 100% recyclable 30% more powerful PowerGenix Rechargeable AA Batteries!
Well, ok fine you caught me, I wasn’t spelunking in South America surrounded by hungry vampire bats this morning but I was trying out some very cool new rechargeable batteries from PowerGenix. These Nickel-Zinc (NiZN) batteries claim to be 30% more powerful than Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) rechargeable batteries and equivalent to standard 1.5v disposable alkaline batteries. That simply wasn’t true – the nickel-zinc batteries hands down beat out the name brand alkaline batteries as well!
I did a side by side comparison with two of the same flashlights one loaded with a fresh package of Energizer Max alkaline batteries and one with PowerGenix Nickel-Zinc rechargeable batteries (freshly charged in the included 1.5 hour quick charger (which took closer to 3 hrs for the first time charging) – the PowerGenix batteries were brighter and had a larger light radius than the Energizers. I even switched the batteries between the flashlights to make sure there wasn’t a difference and the PowerGenix still came out ahead.
The next round of tests matched up the PowerGenix NiZN rechargeable batteries against Energizer 2500 mAh NiMH rechargeable batteries and this is when the PowerGenix really shined – yes pun intended. While I’m not sure without using a light meter the difference was at least the claimed 30% brighter (probably more like 31.475% but I’m just guessing). I didn’t have time to test my Duracell rechargeable batteries since Brandi claimed the NiZN batteries right quick for her camera.
The only downside to my cool rechargeable battery review experiment and negative mark against the PowerGenix batteries was when the plastic cover on the battery scraped against a sharp edge in the flashlight and tore. Possibly a rare fluke but my new toy now has an imperfection.
Popular Science magazine honored these PowerGenix Nickel-Zinc batteries with a Best of What’s New Award in the Gadgets category recently and I can see why – they are the best rechargeable batteries I’ve tried so far. I only wish I had my old digital camera that refused to work with standard batteries – I’m guessing I could have used that camera for a few more years powered by PowerGenix Nickel-Zinc rechargeable batteries – or perhaps I really will tackle those Desmodus rotundus after all as long as I have my new PowerGenix batteries.
“Nickel-Zinc is the most recyclable battery chemistry on the market. Unlike many other materials, both nickel and zinc can be recycled again and again while maintaining their physical and chemical properties. Plus the zinc electrode contains no lead, cadmium or mercury.
PowerGenix batteries are certified as recyclable by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Coalition (RBRC), a nonprofit public service organization dedicated to recycling rechargeable batteries. The batteries can be recycled at more than 50,000 RBRC collection sites in the U.S. and Canada.”
Nice! I was momentarily very impressed by your posting dedication after your near miss with the vampire bats.
You don’t happen to have a good solar recharger to recommend, do you?
Hello Jess thanks for stopping by, and welcome back from your blogging vacation. Sorry my posting dedication wasn’t so exciting once the truth was out of the bag, if it is any consolation I did have to wade through a mass of tangled low pile carpeting and stumble over several toys, cats and even a rabid ferret (ok so it wasn’t rabid) to get to the computer…
As a matter of fact I did just read about a solar battery charger – I’ll have to look it up again and do a post on it. Perhaps without the vampire bats this time – although I might have to battle blinding solar flares and burning hot lava – we’ll see…
These batteries are some of the best – they are not so popular in the uk but definately worth getting your hands on for things like this. Nice post Chris will definately follow you from now on 😀
Thanks Judy, it is interesting to see the selection of rechargeable batteries available in the UK on your site, especially the number of rechargeable D sized battery options. In the US rechargeable D batteries were popular maybe 10-15 years ago but not so much any more. I did see an interesting invention offered by PowerGenix – they have C and D sized “cases” that you put your AA rechargeable batteries in – pretty cool. 🙂 (even better if you buy their battery and charger combo you can send in for one of these C or D adapters for free)
Glad to see you survived the bats!
I like reading your blog because you can constantly bring us fresh and cool stuff, I feel that I must at least say a thank you for your hard work.
– Henry
Please tell me they have haven’t stopped production due to lack of sales as someone just told me! I bought the last five packs that Job Lot’s had, complete with chargers and I love these batteries. I just bought a brand new Fuji S4000 digital camera which accepts Alkaline, Nicad and Lithium batteries. I set it on Lithiums due to the voltage of those matching the Powergenic AA batteries and your NiZn’s just keep working! I did four hours of night shooting the other night and they still haven’t flinched. Please tell me they are going to continue production.
I hadn’t heard that Ted – that would be unfortunate. I do know Powergenix is moving strongly into the micro-hybrid car battery technology sector as the NIZN batteries are lighter, cheaper to make and longer lasting than current lead-acid batteries. I wouldn’t think they would abandon the rechargeable battery market as they are the leader in the NiZN technology.
It may be though that certain stores will stop carrying them as they really aren’t all that known, but I don’t know for sure. It looks like Amazon still sells them so you can still stock up. 🙂
I have some really good news Chris! I placed a call to Powergenix, they returned my call and fully explained the sale of their batteries to Job Lot’s for close out sales. Yes, they did sell their inventory to Job Lots but took the money and put it into their NEW and much larger battery production plant in China. Their past manufacturer in China wasn’t big enough to fill orders as they wanted. The new plant will begin production in September so we can all relax and be assured that Powergenics NiZn batteries will be available shortly and in higher quantities.
That said, I called all seven Job Lot stores within a 40 miles radius and bought up every package of unsold Powergenix NiZn batteries with chargers which was 12 in all. Two packs have the black FAST chargers (3 to 5 hour charging) which only charge batteries in pairs or fours and ten packs have the more expensive (and I think better) white chargers (1 to 2 hour charging) which will charge one, two, three or four batteries at a time. The white QUICK chargers’ monitor each individual battery’s voltage, begins charging the lowest one up to the voltage of the next higher one, then begins charging them both until they reach the voltage of the next higher one, then charge all three up to the voltage of the highest one and finally charges all four simultaneously up to a full charge. This ability makes the more expensive white charger a hands down winner and well worth the extra $10 or so they cost over the basic 3 to 5 hour charger.
Job Lot sells them for $8 a pack regardless of the type of charger included, so the 48 batteries I have cost me only $96 or $2 each and the chargers were essentially free!
Although NiZn’s are green and as safe to toss in the trash as alkaline batteries, since both Nickel and Zinc are both finite in quantity on earth, I would highly recommend recycling them when they no longer will take a charge. Hopefully as they grow, Powergenix will create a recycling program for customers.
Did I neglect to mention that these NiZn batteries have me as excited as a kid in a candy store? Lol. If anyone cares, since I was unable to find an English Professor to tell me how to pronounce “NiZn”, utilizing the past common pronunciations of Nicad’s and Nimeh’s I simply call them Nizan’s.
That’s excellent news Ted, thanks for the update, I know what you mean about being a kid in a candy store – I had fun testing these babies out.
Nizan’s huh? I just think of them in the long tense nickel zinc, nizan does have a futuristic ring to it though. 🙂
This may be a silly question, but where do you take spent batteries to get them recycled? I have not been able to find anything about collection of these anywhere in my area?
Thanks!
Good question Mike – I always take them to a library there are several in our area that have a battery collection box. Other than that you may have a County recycling center near you that takes all sorts of recyclables. I would even imagine there might be a place to mail them in that would take them, but that could get expensive if you have a lot to send. Hope that helps.
Let us go GREEN.. alternative energy to help our mother nature.
i wonder what is the real life or how long will this battery last..
I have to agree these batteries are some of the best, renewable energy is best for us all.
This type of battery is really cool. It’s a double purpose usage.