Storing sun and wind power

[jpak]

http://www.news.com/Storing-sun-and-wind-power/2100-13840_3-6221396.html

When the sun sets or the wind dies down, renewable energy sources get a lot less reliable.

That's why large-scale electricity storage technologies are being pursued by a number of energy technology companies. Although none of these technologies are commonplace, they could fill a niche in the booming solar and wind industries and make renewable energy more economically compelling.

One company with a novel approach is Massachusetts-based start-up General Compression, which is building a wind turbine that compresses air and stores it underground in caves or other geological structures. The compressed air is drawn when needed and expanded to drive electricity generators.

A document on General Compression's Web site last month that has since been removed indicated it was looking for $30 million this fall to finance its expansion.

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[Canuckistanian]

1. Don't forget about flywheel storage

Such as this system from Beacon Power:

A flywheel energy storage system draws electrical energy from a primary source, such as the utility grid, and stores it in a high-density rotating flywheel. The flywheel system is actually a kinetic, or mechanical battery, spinning at very high speeds (>20,000 rpm) to store energy that is instantly available when needed.

[kentauros]

2. Whatever happened to the implementation

of the Vanadium Redox storage battery or storage system? I haven't neard anything about them in a long while...

[diane in sf]

3. Thanks to you, jpak and okitsjustme for providing so many great articles

and comments. This forum has been massively improved by your contributions.

Certain torrents of nasty tempered ignorance have been quite diluted by your presence.