Trend Technology 1: every building, vehicle and device becomes a two-way grid node

Summary

Everything-to-grid energy is the first of the report's ten emerging technologies, turning buildings, vehicles and devices into active parts of the power system. Each asset can hold electricity, send it back and help keep supply and demand in balance moment by moment, so the grid behaves like a web of intelligent nodes rather than a one-way pipeline. The biggest shift is inside batteries, where new chemistries based on common materials such as lithium and sodium reduce reliance on cobalt and nickel and often cost less. Better power electronics and coordination software let millions of such assets act as one orchestrated resource, while compensation schemes start paying for flexibility. Australia shows the scale, with households adding over 180,000 home batteries in the second half of 2025. The Dubai Future Foundation outlook expects businesses and governments to shape energy costs and resilience through decisions on fleets, buildings and procurement.