Abstract

One major problem with solar panels, wind turbines, and water wave power generation is that they do not work 24/7. So if we want to get away from burning fossil fuels to create electricity, we need some way to store electricity.

Battery

The Grid

Before we talk about storing electric power, lets take a few minutes and discuss how electric power gets from the power plant into our homes, offices, and industry.

Storing energy - The problem

Nature has been storing energy for as long as the planet has had things growing on it. One source that we often take for granted is trees storing energy in the form of wood. Food plants convert water, and nutriments with sun light to store energy such as apples, corn, potatos, etc.

Even our current fossil fuels started life as plants that grew on the ground. When they died and were buried they decomposed and created the carbon as coal, the gas as natural gas, and the oil that we burn today. Unfortunately burning the fossil fuels releases all the carbon dioxide that was stored in the plants over millennium.

So today we are making a transition away from burning fossil fuel toward using electric energy to perform the jobs previously done by fossil fuels. But we have run into a problem. Storing electric energy is more difficult than we thought.

The problem

Electricity storage systems

We are all familiar with hydro electric generation which comes from damming a body of water and generating electricity with the water that flows through the dam.

But did you know that this is also a method of using water to store electricity.

Storing electricity with water

But having the right terrain for water is not possible in all locations. So what do we do if we only want storage for a single building, like our home.

Storing electricity with batteries

Lets talk about how batteries can store energy for the grid using lithium ion batteries.

What about using a flow battery to store electricity.

What about using batteries to store electric energy just for our homes.

So we have seen how to use batteries to store the electric energy between generation and use. But are there other methods of storing electric energy for later use?

Storing electricity with gravity

These tower crane power systems can be setup in many places. But that is not the only method of storing electricity.

Storing electricity with tin

This storage system is still in the development state, but is showing promise.

Storing thermal energy

What about storing the excess electricity as heat instead of electricity. This is a promising technology. Heat can be used directly to replace some electric usage, or it can be converted back into electricity.

Storing thermal energy with sand

Storing excess electricity in sand make sense given it basic properties.

Storing thermal energy with gravel

Final Comments

I recently invested in a geothermal system for heating and cooling my house, November 2023. This system uses heat from the ground to heat and cool my home, eliminating the oil and propane I was using to warm my home.

Directly under our feet is an almost unlimited source of heat.

We are still years away from this source of energy, but imagine how it could revolutionize our energy requirements.


Written by John F. Moore

Last Revised: Mon Oct 14 08:49:21 PM EDT 2024

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