Proponents say gravity-based programs might assist meet demand for long-duration storage. But there’s additionally skepticism about the way forward for the strategy, since they’ll require a whole lot of work to construct, they usually is likely to be harder to take care of than anticipated. EnergyVault is making progress on a deliberate facility in China, although the corporate has additionally been deploying a whole lot of lithium-ion battery installations today.
The massive squeeze
Let’s return to highschool physics yet another time for an additional idea: strain. If you squeeze one thing right into a smaller area, you’re elevating the strain.
Turning that strain into usable vitality is the thought behind compressed-air vitality storage. All you want is an underground salt cavern. When you’ve obtained electrical energy it’s essential use, you’ll be able to run pumps to push air contained in the cavern. Then, when it’s essential get vitality out, simply launch a valve and let the escaping air spin a turbine to generate electrical energy once more.
There are solely a few these amenities operating worldwide, one in Germany and one other in Alabama. In the previous, they’ve been tied up with fossil fuels, since they often work alongside natural-gas energy crops. But now firms need to reimagine compressed-air storage, utilizing it for renewables and increasing the place it may be used.
Earlier this 12 months, native governments in California signed contracts with Hydrostor, which is constructing what can be the world’s largest compressed-air storage facility. Instead of counting on pure geological situations, Hydrostor will drill three shafts deep into the earth to retailer the compressed air.
It’s a billion-dollar venture, and it might be working as quickly as 2028 to retailer vitality and assist clean out California’s grid utilizing nothing however air.
Other teams need to take a distinct strategy to the identical idea. Energy Dome, an Italian startup, needs to compress carbon dioxide as a substitute of air to retailer vitality. This wouldn’t require giant underground storage caverns in any respect—for extra on the small print right here, try my story from final 12 months on Energy Dome.
Earth to battery
Some teams are additionally trying to pair these new approaches to vitality storage with efforts to generate electrical energy, making new energy crops extra versatile.