In today's environment there seems to be more ways to generate power than to store it. Right now it seems better to generate more power than you need so you'll have it when you need it. As storage ability increases (along with increased need) maybe a balance can be achieved, temporarily anyway. And don't forget, the deep thinkers need to think about the repercussions of energy transfer as it effects the big picture in the universe.
How about on a local scene; gravity? During power generation a weight is lifted (weight and geared appropriately) and during peak times gravity returns the favor. (above and/or below ground).
Energy storage on grid heats up (photos)
by ZDNet Author | September 17, 2010 4:10am PDT | Image 1 of 11
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One of the biggest technical challenges to a smart grid and cleaner electricity system is affordable storage. With energy storage, grid operators can avoid using natural gas power plants to maintain a steady frequency or avoid putting generators online to meet peak-power demands. Ultimately, the hope is that bulk storage will allow solar and wind farm operators to provide electricity to the grid--regardless of wind and sun conditions--making the electricity they provide more valuable.
That's why many companies, researchers, and the Department of Energy are investing in new energy storage technologies. Here is a battery system from Xtreme Power, which is supplying batteries to smooth out the flow of electricity to the grid from a wind farm in Hawaii and other places. The system in Hawaii will be capable of delivering 30 megawatts of power and have 10 megawatt-hours of storage--enough to supply power to thousands of homes.
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@Gpa's
This is already being done all over the world. Excess electrical energy generated during non-peak times is used to pump massive amounts of water from an underground basin to an above ground basin. Think of it like a giant bathroom sink. Once the water is there, it just waits until some point later when electricity demand spikes and the operators pull the plug at the bottom of the giant sink. Billions of gallons of water rush through a pipe at the bottom of the sink, turning a hydro-electric generator and providing the area with instant electricity at no cost, environmental or otherwise. Later, when demand is low, the process is repeated.
This is already being done all over the world. Excess electrical energy generated during non-peak times is used to pump massive amounts of water from an underground basin to an above ground basin. Think of it like a giant bathroom sink. Once the water is there, it just waits until some point later when electricity demand spikes and the operators pull the plug at the bottom of the giant sink. Billions of gallons of water rush through a pipe at the bottom of the sink, turning a hydro-electric generator and providing the area with instant electricity at no cost, environmental or otherwise. Later, when demand is low, the process is repeated.
that is done now in many places using water.
Utilities pump water "up-hill" to the "top" of a hydro-electric facility when surplus low-cost power is available (night-time nuke power usually) and then the stored power is consumed by the hydro-electric turbines during peak demand periods.
Utilities pump water "up-hill" to the "top" of a hydro-electric facility when surplus low-cost power is available (night-time nuke power usually) and then the stored power is consumed by the hydro-electric turbines during peak demand periods.
@CorporateLackie They show that under pumped hydro.
For each method, what is the cost, what is the loss rate (how much energy is lost over time waiting), what is conversion rate (what percentage of energy put in, can come out).
I would think that some solutions would have some pretty good long term storage like compressed air, but not so good at conversion costs.
I would think that some solutions would have some pretty good long term storage like compressed air, but not so good at conversion costs.
With our current technology there will always be some loss of energy during storage and retrieval. But without storage, we will have lost all of that excess energy, so this is a no-brainer. I think we need to apply ALL of the above technologies and many more not shown here, at different levels throughout the grid. Just like our energy should come from multiple sources, so should the storage.
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