News Two new solar arrays coming online in 2023 will double Walt Disney World's solar capability

[mmascari]

I don't know how much it's used, but I read an article about the use of reservoirs for storing water for use in Hyrdro-electric generation. Off peak, water is pumped into the higher reservoir and routed back to the main supply when needed. Very interesting concept.

Hydro Pumped Storage. It's a good solution when you have lots of excess cheap generation at one time of day, and then inadequate generation at other times of day. Especially if it's difficult to ramp the generation up and down to match load. Instead, you're ramping up and down extra load by turning the pumps on and off. Which is better than just adding load that wastes the energy.

I think this is the largest one in the country.

Dominion Bath County Pumped Storage · State Rte 705, Warm Springs, VA 24484

★★★★★ · Hydroelectric power plant

goo.gl

 

[ImperfectPixie]

It's certainly possible, without a doubt. But now imagine every car, truck, SUV, and semi on the road is electric and needs charging along all our interstates.

Until someone figures out how to charge the battery with the air flowing around the car while driving.

 

[DisneyCane]

There are places where wind is very dependable, West Texas for example. I don't know how much it's used, but I read an article about the use of reservoirs for storing water for use in Hyrdro-electric generation. Off peak, water is pumped into the higher reservoir and routed back to the main supply when needed. Very interesting concept.

It's a good concept for storage but there is going to be efficiency loss both in the pumping up to the high ground and then the conversion back to electricity through the turbines. I've seen some cool concepts (I don't know if they are implemented anywhere yet) using compressed air in the same manner.

 

[danlb_2000]

While I agree with you that nuclear has a role to play, deriding Wind and Solar because it's bad for the environment isn't a good argument. We're dealing with what to do with spent fuel from the earliest days. The only way thought to work is to send it down a deep hole and hope ground water and our future selves never find it.

Wind and Solar does have the problem that there still is nowhere near enough of it to change the game. I'm not sure it ever can.

I haven't read it yet but this books tried to make the case that we can power the world with primarily renewables like wind and solar with a little bit of nuclear.

Electrify

An optimistic—but realistic and feasible—action plan for fighting climate change while creating new jobs and a healthier environment: electrify everythin...

mitpress.mit.edu

 

[mmascari]

It's a good concept for storage but there is going to be efficiency loss both in the pumping up to the high ground and then the conversion back to electricity through the turbines. I've seen some cool concepts (I don't know if they are implemented anywhere yet) using compressed air in the same manner.

The water generally works better and is easier than air. Someone has a concept moving concrete blocks too. All of them are basically the same principle, add energy to something, let that energy sit there, later remove that energy. For water (and the concrete blocks), it's adding potential energy by moving them up hill. Later you them them fall to release that energy. With air, it's is a compression/expansion cycle. A battery works the same way, chemically instead.

There's obviously losses for all of this, different with the different systems. Largely dependent on how much energy you need to add vs how much ends up stored vs how much can come back out. Generate a bunch of heat compressing the air, that's a loss. I've watched the concrete block articles a bunch of times, but haven't figured out how it could ever be more efficient than just pumping water. Of course, concrete doesn't evaporate. It may break and chip, but water leaks out too. Mother nature always trying to steal our stored water.

Pumped hydro is actually way more efficient that most would assume. Not as much as say a Li-ion battery, but it scales in capacity and lifespan so much more that it comes out ahead in the long run. The plant I linked above has been in service since 1985. I never seen a Li-ion battery last for 35+ years.

 

[GimpYancIent]

How do I charge up my electric vehicle when driving through BFE Nebraska, or Wyoming? Or in the mountains in NC? Batteries and battery capacity are the keys, but they are limited by what amounts to horrible conversion of raw material into end product plus mining practices. Unless someone figures out how to recycle batteries, electric vehicles are a losing proposition. Solar conversion rates get above 50% and you have something to work with (just in general, not for vehicle power).

Allegedly the EV's batteries will be recycled at the end of the EV's service life, interesting since spent batteries are actually hazardous waste. If what the EV advocates want is achieved that will be one big load of hazardous waste to recycle once the EV's start hitting the end of their service lives on mass.

 

[Dutch Inn '76]

While I agree with you that nuclear has a role to play, deriding Wind and Solar because it's bad for the environment isn't a good argument. We're dealing with what to do with spent fuel from the earliest days. The only way thought to work is to send it down a deep hole and hope ground water and our future selves never find it.

Wind and Solar does have the problem that there still is nowhere near enough of it to change the game. I'm not sure it ever can.

Right. As I said, they're a waste of time since there will never be enough of it. The bad for the environment comment was a throwaway "also" comment at the end...

It's nuke or hydrocarbons, or someday fusion.

 

[TikibirdLand]

Until someone figures out how to charge the battery with the air flowing around the car while driving.

A ram air turbine is just the ticket