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There is no "large scale battery problem". Energy storage is a simple matter of civil engineering: a big job to construct enough, but requiring no new technolo
by ncmncm 4y ago
There is no "large scale battery problem".
Energy storage is a simple matter of civil engineering: a big job to construct enough, but requiring no new technology.
We are not building it now because it would be stupid to build storage there is no renewable capacity to charge up from. Money is overwhelmingly better spent today on renewable generating capacity.
By the time we need to build storage, it will be much cheaper than if built today.
- rapsey 4y agoLarge scale storage is not cost effective with current tech. It is not just a civic engineering problem. Solar power is very cheap, but a complete 24/7 solution requires batteries. Those are much more expensive than the panels. A better battery is all we need. Panels are good enough already.
- ncmncm 4y agoThe overwhelming majority of storage used will not be batteries, unless some new chemistry's cost is very low. Large-scale storage will be very cheap, on par with panels. It really is just civil engineering. Any competent civil engineer can sketch a practical, cheap storage system using only century-old tech. Hand-wringing over utility-scale storage amounts to concern trolling.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- Raydovsky 4y agoWhat kind of tech would be used for storage?
- _uhtu 4y agoNot the OP but dams and resevoirs is what he is talking about, I assume. Pump water uphill while the sun is out, let it feed back downhill and generate power overnight. It is century old stuff and it is very much validated to work.
- ncmncm 4y agoThere are numerous practical methods.
- throwaway821909 4y agoNot the person you're replying to but pumped hydro is the most primitive I know of. Also: why must the highly variable renewables share the grid with highly variable demand, use them to make hydrogen (only when the sun is shining/wind is blowing), feed that into a totally separate power plant, simple to manage - if renewables really get cheap who cares if it's inefficient.
- ncmncm 4y agoHydrogen will be one storage medium, mostly stored underground where geology favors it. Tanked anhydrous ammonia will be common, with more ordered from tropical solar farms when local tankage runs low. Underground and underwater compressed air will also be common. Liquified air might be.
- kentm 4y agoIn addition to pumped hydro, you can use flywheels or even lifting heavy weights really high up.
- ncmncm 4y agoProbably neither of those will find substantial use.
- danans 4y agoFor medium duration storage (days to weeks): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressed-air_energy_storage https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compressed-air_energy_storage https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal%E2%80%93air_electrochemical_cell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal%E2%80%93air_electrochemi... For long duration storage: hydrogen, ammonia.