Solar and Wind Energy May Be Nice, but How Can We Store It?

Re:Solar and Wind Energy May Be Nice, but How Can We Store It? by WalterBright on Wednesday April 06, 2016 @01:15AM (#11436764)

Not exactly storing energy, but a functional equivalent is load shifting. This means shifting demand from when the electricity supply is low to when it is high. An awful lot can be done with this.

This can be implemented by adjusting electricity rates in real time, and having loads that can be shifted monitoring the rates and turn on when they are low.

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Re:Solar and Wind Energy May Be Nice, but How Can We Store It? by mikekchar on Wednesday April 06, 2016 @02:12AM (#11436957)

I live in Shizuoka, Japan where a lot of cars and motorcycles are built. When the nuclear reactors were shut down one of the ways they managed the reduction in power usage was to have the factories cooperate on their work schedules. So Suzuki would open from 9-5 and then Yamaha would open, etc. It only lasted for a few months, but I've heard it made a huge difference in helping the grid meet demands.

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Re:Solar and Wind Energy May Be Nice, but How Can We Store It? by WalterBright on Wednesday April 06, 2016 @04:59AM (#11437553)

That makes a lot of sense. Our current system of a flat rate for power regardless of demand is ridiculously wasteful.

For example, consider an electric hot water heater. The water will stay hot for a day in a well insulated one. Having it set to run only when rates are lower would to a lot to match supply with demand, reduce pollution, costs, etc.

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Re:Solar and Wind Energy May Be Nice, but How Can We Store It? by joezydeco on Wednesday April 06, 2016 @12:51PM (#11439979)

A number of Chicago skyscrapers are cooled with ice made during off-peak hours. The OP's article mentions ice as some new technique. It's been done in production for a long time now.

http://enwavechicago.com/

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