On 26/11/2014 9:14 AM, Karl Auer wrote: > On Wed, 2014-11-26 at 08:49 +1100, Tom Worthington wrote: >> says, it is difficult to use solar or wind power for on-demand power as >> the sun does not shine, and the wind does not blow, on demand > > I'd like to see more study of small and large scale energy *storage*, > since the obvious way to smooth demand vs supply mismatches is to store > energy when you have a surplus and release it when you have a deficit. > I'm not suggesting that all of these are actually useful for storing > (say) solar overproduction, but things like: > > - lifting a weight > - tensing a spring > - pumping water up hill > - dumping energy into heating or cooling > - battery storage (small local and large centralised) > - spinning a flywheel > - dumping energy into ongoing but not time critical tasks > (compute tasks like rendering or physical tasks like filling a tank) > > ...and of course the synergy between electrical cars and their potential > use (sorry) for energy storage when they are not being driven. > ... A few large-scale ideas here: <http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/the-long-term-storage-challenge-batteries-not-included-73186> and for the truly small-scale: <http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/11/nifty-little-nano-battery-mighty-mite-energy-storage/>.
Technology's running off in more directions than there are dimensions (slight hyperbole there). To pretend that anything is proven to be "impossible" shows ignorance and arrogance (or perhaps a vested interest). > Some of these lose lots of the energy, but it's "free" ... On that, there's the Weißbach paper <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544213000492>, (to which I don't have access) referenced in a post on Barry Brook's pro-nuclear blog <http://bravenewclimate.com/2014/08/22/catch-22-of-energy-storage/> and at <http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/08/1221552/-GETTING-TO-ZERO-Is-renewable-energy-economically-viable>. To which my only comment is that the figures are comically rubbery: <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/eroi-behind-numbers-energy-return-investment/>. Most of the "debate" about renewables and storage seems to centre around the nuclear power lobby. To get this a bit more on topic for Link, I reckon much of the solution lies in demand management, "smart grids" and other efficiencies. -- David Boxall | When a distinguished but elderly | scientist states that something is http://david.boxall.id.au | possible, he is almost certainly | right. When he states that | something is impossible, he is | very probably wrong. --Arthur C. Clarke _______________________________________________ Link mailing list Link@mailman.anu.edu.au http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
