| |

Energy Storage

Energy storage is necessary to ensure that electricity can meet demand, especially during peak periods. Read on to find out more about what it is and how it energy storage occurs.

What is Energy Storage?

Energy storage is the method used to store energy that has been produced. In relation to the home, it most commonly refers to storing energy (such as electricity) for later use. Energy storage allows the energy that is produced during times of low demand to be stored in order to help meet the energy requirements at times of high demand. It also lowers the amount of energy wastage and reduces our impact on the environment.

Energy storage is necessary as the cost of producing energy increases. While electrical energy cannot be directly stored, it can be indirectly stored by converting it to another type of energy. Some methods for doing so are outlined below. When more energy is needed, the storage energy is converted back to electrical energy.

Methods of Energy Storage

There are several methods that can be used for storing energy. These include:

• Batteries – rechargeable batteries are perhaps the best known form of energy storage and it is widely used. Electric energy is stored inside a battery in a chemical form. How well batteries work depends on the operating conditions, the materials and quality of materials from which they are made, and how the batteries themselves are made. For large amounts of energy storage, lead-acid batteries are used.

• Flywheels – energy is stored as kinetic energy within a rotating mass (the flywheel). How much energy is stored depends on the rotational speed and tensile strength of the material used in the flywheel.

• Reversible fuel cells – these work by converting hydrogen from a storage tank and oxygen from the air into water, and then generate a current using an electrochemical method. The actual reaction is reversible, hence the name for this method of energy storage. How much energy can be stored depends on factors such as the storage tank size and the amount of power in the electrodes.

• Thermal energy – this simply refers to heat and cold. Excess energy is stored in a large tank at the temperature at which is needed later. These tanks are widely used by cooling and heating systems.

• Pumped hydro – this method of energy storage is largely used by electricity companies. Water at the top of a mountain is used to operate a generator that is located lower down. When there is excess energy, the water gets pumped up again. The water that has been pumped up is stored as gravitational potential energy, and when it flows back down, it goes through a turbine which converts it back to electrical energy.

• Compressed air energy storage – CAES for short, this type of energy storage works by compressing air during times of low demand. It is stored in an underground cavern, and it creates electricity when it goes through a turbo generator system in times of peak demand.

Printer Friendly Version

References