3 ms·
Dams are one of the best kind of battery there is. They store gargantuan amounts of energy with very little complexity. Basically: pump water up into the dam to
by SeoxyS 12y ago
Dams are one of the best kind of battery there is. They store gargantuan amounts of energy with very little complexity. Basically: pump water up into the dam to "charge," and let water flow and run the turbines to "release" energy.
That's why hydro power is absolutely critical to a renewable grid. It's the only scalable way to normalize supply and demand.
- jn1234 12y agoDespite, the inefficiencies (losing 20-30%) there are large environmental impacts associated with turning a large amount of land into a lake. Additionally, when a drought occurs almost all the storage capacity is lost. We are at the stage with battery technologies, where it would make absolutely to build hydro storage, even given the current trend of removing dams.