A battery comprising a stacked arrangement of electrochemical cells, each electrochemical cell comprising a bipolar plate that includes a substrate, a first active material layer disposed on a first surface of the substrate, and a second active material layer disposed on a second surface of the substrate, the second surface being opposed to the first surface of the substrate, the first active material layer having a first active material layer peripheral edge that is spaced apart from, and disposed closer to a center of the substrate than, a substrate peripheral edge, the second active material layer being a material that is different than the material of the first active material layer, the second active material layer having a second active material layer peripheral edge that is spaced apart from the substrate peripheral edge, a solid electrolyte layer that is disposed on the second surface so as to encapsulate the second active material layer including the second active material layer peripheral edge, an edge insulating device that includes a sheet of electrically insulating material, the edge insulating device including an outer peripheral edge and an inner peripheral edge, the edge insulating device being disposed between the peripheral edges of the substrates of a given cell and an adjacent cell in such a way that the outer peripheral edge is disposed further from the center of the substrate than the substrate peripheral edge, and the edge insulating device physically contacts and is directly secured to the first surface of the substrate of the given cell or the solid electrolyte layer of the adjacent cell, and an elastic seal, wherein when the edge insulating device physically contacts and is directly secured to the first surface of the substrate of the given cell, the elastic seal is disposed between the edge insulating device and the solid electrolyte layer of the adjacent cell, and when the edge insulating device physically contacts and is directly secured to the solid electrolyte layer of the adjacent cell, the elastic seal is disposed between the edge insulating device and the first surface of the substrate of the given cell. a bipolar plate that includes a substrate, a first active material layer disposed on a first surface of the substrate, and a second active material layer disposed on a second surface of the substrate, the second surface being opposed to the first surface of the substrate, the first active material layer having a first active material layer peripheral edge that is spaced apart from, and disposed closer to a center of the substrate than, a substrate peripheral edge, the second active material layer being a material that is different than the material of the first active material layer, the second active material layer having a second active material layer peripheral edge that is spaced apart from the substrate peripheral edge, a solid electrolyte layer that is disposed on the second surface so as to encapsulate the second active material layer including the second active material layer peripheral edge, an edge insulating device that includes a sheet of electrically insulating material, the edge insulating device including an outer peripheral edge and an inner peripheral edge, the edge insulating device being disposed between the peripheral edges of the substrates of a given cell and an adjacent cell in such a way that the outer peripheral edge is disposed further from the center of the substrate than the substrate peripheral edge, and the edge insulating device physically contacts and is directly secured to the first surface of the substrate of the given cell or the solid electrolyte layer of the adjacent cell, and an elastic seal, wherein when the edge insulating device physically contacts and is directly secured to the first surface of the substrate of the given cell, the elastic seal is disposed between the edge insulating device and the solid electrolyte layer of the adjacent cell, and when the edge insulating device physically contacts and is directly secured to the solid electrolyte layer of the adjacent cell, the elastic seal is disposed between the edge insulating device and the first surface of the substrate of the given cell.