MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Why the debate over energy storage utterly misses the point
The debate over which energy storage technology will prove to be the best in the long-term is woefully misguided. Many technologies have been tested in the field or been fully installed, but their real-world applications have created constant questions around a number of fixed themes: the three-points concern cost, technology, and potential environmental impact, as well as the need for specific regulation and end-of-life management. Read full article
Comments
Disclaimer & comment rulesWell, we have been around the houses in this article that’s for sure but it has not addressed the REAL PROBLEM.
Sep 02nd, 2014 - 09:13 pm - Link - Report abuse 0People DO NOT WANT ELECTRIC CARS! Why would they when they cost what they do, even with the multi thousand dollar subsidies which are thrown at them?
There is no denying they have many good features: they are powerful, quiet and comfortable but they stop when the battery goes flat! Range extended electric cars, those fitted with integrated hydrocarbon fuelled engines (Toyota Prius / GM Volt, etc,) overcome this problem but it’s still a petrol or diesel engine that saves the day. Cake and eat it anybody?
With all electric vehicles there is a major problem with the connectivity to the electricity grid: there are no points when you want them unless your company fits them. Those at public sites are already having queues forming to access the multiple hours long recharging process before the thing can get anywhere.
I would love an electric car that worked, there is no such thing at the moment. Bugger!
This is a very woolly article
Sep 03rd, 2014 - 05:03 pm - Link - Report abuse 0First is there any surplus electricity worldwide to store?
The only net exporters as far as I can ascertain are Paraguay and France.
2
Sep 03rd, 2014 - 10:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Scotland currently exports about 25% of the electricity it produces....
There is to be massive investment by 2020 (giving Scotland 100% renewables) in off shore wind farms...it would be useful to be able to store this electricity instead of buying back cheap electricity at night to pump the water back into the dams...where it is released in the daytime peak periods, generating hydro electricity and exported.....
This would take the figures up to 50% of electricity exported by 2020 and will add another 2 billion to electricity exports....
@ 3 Voice
Sep 04th, 2014 - 12:45 pm - Link - Report abuse 0Very impressive but where is the investment money coming from?
Voice, while I agree with you that pumped storage is eminently practical and financially sensible, particularly the expanded Cruarchan scheme and the Coire Glas scheme, 33% of Scotland's electricity is produced from nuclear power stations. This against an export of 25% of Scotland's power exported to England and NI.
Sep 08th, 2014 - 01:51 am - Link - Report abuse 0The prevailing Gnat tendency seems to be anti nuclear, so what is the future of the nuclear power stations?
If they are shut down who pays the decommissioning costs?
All waste is presently dealt with at Sellafield in Cumbria. Will it continue to be processed there in future or must Scotland build it's own nuclear waste facility?
A few questions which haven't been addressed perhaps.
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