3 ms·

Is pumped hydro really able to scale to a significant level where it can provide enough energy storage for a national (or even state/regional) grid? I was alway

by g_sch 4y ago

Is pumped hydro really able to scale to a significant level where it can provide enough energy storage for a national (or even state/regional) grid? I was always under the impression that pumped hydro was indeed awesome, very cost-effective, etc. but could only be developed in places with very specific geographies. After all, you have to somehow place two reservoirs near each other with a significant elevation difference. Isn't this the limit that governs pumped hydro as a storage technology?

scythe 4y ago
>Isn't this the limit that governs pumped hydro as a storage technology? I was nitpicking there, yes. Pumped hydro has an "asking if we [could/should]?" problem: extensive use of pumped hydro would be devastating to ecosystems. There are a number of "clever" strategies, such as allowing the lower reservoir to be the ocean: https://municipalwaterleader.com/implementing-oceanuss-pumped-storage-desal-plant-in-chile/ https://municipalwaterleader.com/implementing-oceanuss-pumpe... but I did not intend for that sentence to be read as advocating widespread uptake of pumped hydro. It's convenient in certain places, and it can fill in gaps for communities in need, but it comes with a big cost not measured in dollars. And the use of saltwater makes this problem much worse.
stouset 4y ago
Tom Murphy covered this in the series as well. While there are absolutely cases where pumped hydro is extremely effective (e.g., Dinorwig Power Station), the inherent problem is that it requires need very specific geological features. Unsurprisingly, we've hit much of the good low-hanging fruit, so future projects will be less efficient in terms of capacity per dollar invested. And also unsurprisingly, these features are not evenly geographically spaced around the globe. https://dothemath.ucsd.edu/2011/11/pump-up-the-storage/ https://dothemath.ucsd.edu/2011/11/pump-up-the-storage/

by g_sch 4y ago

scythe 4y ago

>Isn't this the limit that governs pumped hydro as a storage technology? I was nitpicking there, yes. Pumped hydro has an "asking if we [could/should]?" problem: extensive use of pumped hydro would be devastating to ecosystems. There are a number of "clever" strategies, such as allowing the lower reservoir to be the ocean: https://municipalwaterleader.com/implementing-oceanuss-pumped-storage-desal-plant-in-chile/ https://municipalwaterleader.com/implementing-oceanuss-pumpe... but I did not intend for that sentence to be read as advocating widespread uptake of pumped hydro. It's convenient in certain places, and it can fill in gaps for communities in need, but it comes with a big cost not measured in dollars. And the use of saltwater makes this problem much worse.

stouset 4y ago

Tom Murphy covered this in the series as well. While there are absolutely cases where pumped hydro is extremely effective (e.g., Dinorwig Power Station), the inherent problem is that it requires need very specific geological features. Unsurprisingly, we've hit much of the good low-hanging fruit, so future projects will be less efficient in terms of capacity per dollar invested. And also unsurprisingly, these features are not evenly geographically spaced around the globe. https://dothemath.ucsd.edu/2011/11/pump-up-the-storage/ https://dothemath.ucsd.edu/2011/11/pump-up-the-storage/