How to fix clean energy’s store problem
Simple and easy
Demand for electricity is highest on a spring day in California. It starts growing around 6 AM, peaks around 6 PM, and then declines until nighttime. However, wind power is variable and can pick up at night. Solar panels generate a lot of electricity during the day, but peak output happens around 7 AM.
On a typical day, the solar and wind energy generated by renewable energy systems is insufficient to meet the peak demands of the day. As a result, power companies often resort to fossil fuels, such as natural gas, to compensate for the shortfall, which is especially pronounced during periods of high electricity usage. The absence of an effective storage mechanism for solar and wind energy necessitates the use of fossil fuels, which can be conveniently stored in barrels and tanks. This presents a major gap in our current renewable energy infrastructure. Failure to develop effective energy storage systems may lead to continued dependence on fossil fuels. Thus, it is imperative that we explore viable methods for the storage of solar and wind energy.
The power company's reliance on fossil fuels, particularly natural gas, to supplement solar and wind energy during peak demand highlights a significant gap in our renewable energy system: energy storage. The inability to store solar and wind energy necessitates the use of fossil fuels during times of peak demand, which can be easily stored in barrels and tanks. Without a means of energy storage, our continued dependence on fossil fuels is likely. While batteries have improved significantly, particularly lithium-ion batteries, which utilize chemical reactions to store energy, they are not the perfect solution for grid-level storage. The scale required for lithium-ion batteries to meet grid-level demand is a significant challenge, compounded by the limited availability of lithium on Earth. Furthermore, lithium-ion batteries are better suited to portable electronics and electric cars, rather than stationary power grids.
Pumped storage hydroelectric power plants, which have been around for decades, provide an alternative energy storage solution that is efficient and effective. They store energy by using renewable or fossil fuel energy to pump water from a lower reservoir or river up to a higher reservoir on a mountain, thereby converting it to potential energy. When the stored energy is required, the water is released down the mountain, converting the potential energy into kinetic energy that spins a turbine and generates electricity for the grid. This method is about 90% efficient, and there are currently 39 pumped storage hydroelectric plants in the US. However, it is challenging to construct new facilities as they require a mountain and extensive excavation.
Innovative companies such as Energy Vault and Quidnet are developing alternative energy storage solutions that also use gravity to store renewable energy. Energy Vault uses heavy blocks of concrete that are lifted into the air using renewable energy, where they become potential energy. The blocks are released when the stored energy is required, spinning a turbine and converting the potential energy back into electricity. Similarly, Quidnet's geomechanical pumped storage unit pumps water underground into a pressurized hole, where it is stored as potential energy and released back to the surface to generate electricity. Both solutions are based on the principle of potential energy, which has shown to be efficient and have fewer moving parts.
Other companies are exploring alternative energy storage solutions that involve thermal energy, such as superheating salt and releasing the heat to drive a turbine or using rusted iron in iron-air batteries to store and discharge energy. While these ideas are in various stages of development, they are attracting investment and are a patchwork solution for energy storage that could complement one another. It is essential to continue exploring and experimenting with various energy storage solutions to determine the right mix for the grid of the future.
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