Pumped hydro

[dan_b]

I think the author was having a bit of a rant - but it's a fun read and worthwhile

https://cleantechnica.com/2024/01/16/gr ... y-storage/

[tony]

I don’t like using energy that has already been generated and storing it in any store. You loose. It is less than 100% efficient so with energy storage we will use more energy than without it

One of my hobbies is energy use reduction a seriously underrated sport

[AE-NMidlands]

I don’t like using energy that has already been generated and storing it in any store. You loose. It is less than 100% efficient so with energy storage we will use more energy than without it

One of my hobbies is energy use reduction a seriously underrated sport

I agree energy use reduction is vital - and completely ignored by most politicians and others, but storing surplus renewable energy is essential or it goes to waste (- and we pay for it twice.)
If you are just going to switch wind turbines off what does that achieve? It could be put into some (any) sort of storage - even if it's only free to locals for their immersion heaters - and and you immediately reduce some later demand, or dispace a bit of fossil fuel consumption. Subject to the storage not costing more in resources than the energy you would otherwise waste, of course.

[tony]

I don’t see that we are at the point of having excess renewable energy that we can’t use, even at night. I would advocate switching off fossil fuel power in preference to storing renewable energy.

Pumped hydro is used to supplement the grid for short periods when there is sudden unexpected high demand while fixed generation is ramped up to meet the demand.

Nice to agree about energy use reduction

[AE-NMidlands]

I don’t see that we are at the point of having excess renewable energy that we can’t use, even at night.

So why do we pay (Scottish Highland) wind turbines not to generate? The levy to cover curtailment adds insult to injury on people's bills...
If pumped storage hadn't been stalled awaiting a fair deal from the grid then loads more electrons could have been mopped up N of the border and fed back into the grid when it was calm.

[Ken]

I don’t see that we are at the point of having excess renewable energy that we can’t use, even at night. I would advocate switching off fossil fuel power in preference to storing renewable energy.

You see it or not but we are at that point. They do switch off (by market forces) the fossil fuel to as low as it can go whilst maintaning stability on the grid and still there is sometimes excess RE which they can export or store or curtail at great expense. In these windy times we are doing a mixture of all those things. https://www.bmreports.com/bmrs/?q=eds/main