Energy storage, cheap and low tech.

[SPYDERLK]

Where is it possible to obtain enough water, a large enough reservoir and enough reservoir height ?
Please calculate how many pounds that would have to travel a vertical height to store 1 MW/hr .

Few have considered this deeply enuf to grasp the magnitude. Some are even storing Watts, lulled by the lazy vernacular.

 

[orezok]

Where is it possible to obtain enough water, a large enough reservoir and enough reservoir height ?
Please calculate how many pounds that would have to travel a vertical height to store 1 MW/hr .

Here.

JOSHUA TREE: Plan aims to turn desert water to electricity - Press Enterprise

 

[SPYDERLK]

Here.

JOSHUA TREE: Plan aims to turn desert water to electricity - Press Enterprise

Have you read it? Did you see the credible problem issues? ... ALL without pertinent further consideration of the magnitude or the inherent efficiencies of pumping on the upside and recovery of energy on the downside. ... The devil is in the details.

 

[orezok]

Have you read it? Did you see the credible problem issues? ... ALL without pertinent further consideration of the magnitude or the inherent efficiencies of pumping on the upside and recovery of energy on the downside. ... The devil is in the details.

That article is about a year old. Most of the issues were by nay sayers and NIMBy's. They have cleared most of the hurdles and the project is proceeding.

 

[Redneck in training]

The idea behind energy storage is to buy cheap electric power (that would otherwise got wasted in example in street lights or generated by opportunity source such as wind or PV or similar) and turn it into expensive (peak) power. So efficiency is mute point as long as it is reasonable. If the project pays for itself the size doesn't matter.
Would you like to have an iron mine or pumped storage near by? I think pumped storage would win. You could go fishing there.

 

[SPYDERLK]

The idea behind energy storage is to buy cheap electric power (that would otherwise got wasted in example in street lights or generated by opportunity source such as wind or PV or similar) and turn it into expensive (peak) power. So efficiency is mute point as long as it is reasonable. If the project pays for itself the size doesn't matter.
Would you like to have an iron mine or pumped storage near by? I think pumped storage would win. You could go fishing there.

This is the decision point. ... It pretty much has to pay for itself. The conversion efficiency required to satisfy this is not evident, nor notable in the proposals Iv seen.

 

[Redneck in training]

This is the decision point. ... It pretty much has to pay for itself. The conversion efficiency required to satisfy this is not evident, nor notable in the proposals Iv seen.

I just Googled it. There are 10 pumped energy storage power plants with greater than 1 GW of capacity in the USA and number of smaller one.
Total capacity of those top 10 is 14.764 GW. I can't find the amount of energy stored but could speculate that each could produce the peak power for several hours.

 

[buickanddeere]

That article is about a year old. Most of the issues were by nay sayers and NIMBy's. They have cleared most of the hurdles and the project is proceeding.

1,300,000,000 watts supplying 100000 homes is 1300 watts per home. Not even enough to operate a portable room heater.
The project cost vs sold power income does not add up to make this pumped storage economically justifiable.
1,300 MW is not a whole lot of power on a single state's 20-30 thousand MW utility grid
The greenies are more about feelings and the "end justifies the means" rather than facts and fair play or honesty.

 

[CalG]

we have a population of 630,000 here in Vermont, A fraction of that in homes. 13 GW would be welcome.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I just Googled it. There are 10 pumped energy storage power plants with greater than 1 GW of capacity in the USA and number of smaller one.
Total capacity of those top 10 is 14.764 GW. I can't find the amount of energy stored but could speculate that each could produce the peak power for several hours.

14.764GW for how long? ... yes we need the energy figure to make a meaningful assessment.