From what I’ve been reading, these new NiMH batteries that have a much lower self-discharge rate could be the only type of AA and AAA battery I need. I’m talking about brands like the Rayovac Hybrid and Sanyo Enerloop. I’m on my last good pair of AA alkalines… my Nintendo Wii remotes go through them quickly. I plan on buying a 4-pack of the Hybrids next time I need batteries. This is going mostly by information from the manufacturer. They do still self-discharge, but if that means I have to recharge them just once a year for critical devices (like the flashlights I keep in my car), it seems completely reasonable to conclude that I can use them for anything that needs AA or AAA. And if my plan of setting up my Brunton Solarport 4.4 up in my car to keep spares charged (using the charger that came with it) works, it will mean that the only cost I will have is paying for the new batteries. No electricity used in the house for charging, and for all intents and purposes no thrown out batteries. And these new types work in standard chargers. I’m environmentally conscious, see, and strive to minimize waste. To me this makes much more sense than buying primary cells and tossing them out… even long-lasting lithiums. I’m actually quite excited and interested in this.

Try doing searches for information and reviews on wikipedia, google, amazon, and the manufacturer’s sites.

What are your thoughts? Is there a more efficient method available now?