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I have been saying for years that we should have a windmill system you could place on top of a building or home that powers a larger, highspeed flywheel buried
by Melatonic 5y ago
I have been saying for years that we should have a windmill system you could place on top of a building or home that powers a larger, highspeed flywheel buried underground below the house. Ideally with the flywheel in vacuum and balanced by magnets for reduced friction. This ensures no loss converting energy types (mechanical to mechanical) and it can be used later for electricity or other energy in small, large bursts (sort of like a capacitor). You would still want batteries for energy storage but this would drastically increase the lifespan of those batteries by reducing stress on their chemistry. Batteries really do not like to discharge in short, high intensity bursts. There are flywheel based UPS systems that work sort of in a similar principle and they have much longer maintenance intervals vs a battery type UPS>
- epistasis 5y agoI think both battery and solar tech has advanced to the point that solar plus batteries undercut a lot of grid supplied energy in costs. Or at least it would, if the overhead for current solar installers wasn't so high. Retail prices for equipment are incredibly low, but the boom-and-bust cycle caused by uncertain regulatory terrain ends up requiring successful biz to have massive marketing costs, which results in really high prices overall.
- WheatM 5y ago
- mispell 5y agoThat's already a thing. Kodiak AK has one which coupled with wind turbines enabled the town to go to 99% renewable electricity. https://www.hitachienergy.com/us/en/references/grid-edge-solutions/kodiak-island https://www.hitachienergy.com/us/en/references/grid-edge-sol...
- Melatonic 5y agoHoly shit this is super cool!