3 ms·

Batteries are the most expensive storage. A negligible fraction of utility storage will be batteries unless some new battery chemistry is very, very cheap. Alm

• ben_w 4y ago
  Hmm. Last time I suggested that[0], I was quickly shot down. I still don't really know why, but as I'm no geologist or civil engineer, I'm willing to believe either a yes or a no at this point. I definitely don't see any other gravity batteries being useful on this scale. [0] specifically I suggested that there was a lot of room for a lot of additional pumped hydro — I don't mean my more recent claim, which is merely that existing pumped hydro is cool
  • ncmncm 4y ago
    There is, in fact, scads of room for add'l pumped hydro. What there isn't room for is more native hydro generation, which needs watershed and a dammed-up river. But pumped hydro only needs an elevated depression. That has actually been a dike around the top of a hill. Natural topography is cheaper, e.g. a box canyon with a dam at the mouth. An alpine pond with no outlet is cheapest of all. People like to insist pumped hydro is badly limited by geography, but hills are very common, and need not be nearby: transmission lines work very well. Transmission losses matter little when top-line generation has zero opex and minimal capex. You just build a little more of it.