5 ms·
Also for comparison: a single pumped-storage plant will often have storage capacity in the GWh; e.g. the Linth-Limmern pumped storage part in Switzerland can st
by ar0 6y ago
Also for comparison: a single pumped-storage plant will often have storage capacity in the GWh; e.g. the Linth-Limmern pumped storage part in Switzerland can store 33 GWh and provides 1000 MW peak power.
- ASalazarMX 6y ago> pumped-storage plant Seeing the title, I jokingly thought of generating hydroelectric power off a dam, and storing excess power by pumping the water back up, Sisyphus like. I'm very surprised this is actually a thing.
- heleninboodler 6y agoTaken to extremes of solar+pumped-storage, we could end up with a situation where the earth spins more quickly in the early morning when the moment of inertia of the planet is lower because the solar panels haven't started moving all that water mass to its higher elevation yet.
- tintor 6y agoThere is always a morning somewhere!
- heleninboodler 6y agoThis is an excellent point and I can't believe I overlooked it. Obviously there could still be significant lopsidedness since places where you'd be moving mass around might not be evenly distributed, though. No idea why someone downvoted you for this observation. :D
- glogla 6y agoYes! It's also only slightly less efficient than batteries.
- ed25519FUUU 6y agohttps://www.npr.org/2021/01/27/961242867/the-worlds-biggest-battery-classic https://www.npr.org/2021/01/27/961242867/the-worlds-biggest-...
- ACAVJW4H 6y agoWhen I overlay the population density map, on top of the elevation map. I think there aren’t many opportunities in Texas for grid scale pumped hydro storage. Although pumped hydro has huge potential it is not homogeneously distributed all over the world according to this map. https://www.hydroreview.com/world-regions/22-million-gwh-of-pumped-hydro-energy-storage-potential-identified-worldwide/ https://www.hydroreview.com/world-regions/22-million-gwh-of-...
- retzkek 6y agoBill Gates mentioned pressurized pumped-hydro storage in his book, (which was the first I had heard of it), and it sounds quite promising and something Texas is well-suited for: > GLIDES costs as low as $13/kWh and $346/kWh and roundtrip efficiencies as high as 80% can be achieved using depleted oil/gas reservoirs and high-pressure pipe segments as pressure reservoirs, respectively. https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2019/12/f69/02_ORNL_Momen_GLIDES_FINAL.pdf https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2019/12/f69/02_ORNL_...
- jacquesm 6y agoElevation translates in to 'head' and that's the single reason that this works well in Switzerland which has something that many other places do not have: very high mountains. With sufficient head the potential energy of a reservoir of modest size can be very impressive, and without you can have a huge reservoir that barely moves the needle.
- skybrian 6y agoI wonder if you could do something similar with underground storage in a mine?
- jacquesm 6y agoNot really enough volume you could only use the lowest levels, and even the largest mines are dwarfed by small lakes. You'd have to put the generators and pumps at the bottom where they'd be easily submerged. Typically pumped storage uses two lakes, one high and one low. But points for creative thinking :)