Re:Standard Thermal: Energy Storage 500x Cheaper Than Batteries
by parpfish on Monday August 25, 2025 @10:53AM
(#45014529)
Batteries are good, but you can’t repair a broken battery with odds and ends you find at the hardware store. If you’re living off grid space isn’t really an issue.
Re:Standard Thermal: Energy Storage 500x Cheaper Than Batteries
by lawlessone on Monday August 25, 2025 @03:06PM
(#45017681)
I am not sure you want to repair something holding one ton blocks in the air with odds and ends.
Re:Standard Thermal: Energy Storage 500x Cheaper Than Batteries
by avalys on Monday August 25, 2025 @10:18AM
(#45014139)
I’d love to buy a 20 kWh battery for under $1k. Can you give me a link to what you’re thinking of?
Re:Standard Thermal: Energy Storage 500x Cheaper Than Batteries
by IshKebab on Monday August 25, 2025 @11:31AM
(#45014951)
Sorry my wording was ambiguous; when I said "that size" I meant 2.7 kWh, which is what the hypothetical concrete blocks might provide.
Nevertheless, you can get a 16 kWh battery (which is enough for most days of a typical house) for only £2k, which is kind of insane really: https://www.fogstar.co.uk/products/fogstar-energy-16kwh-48v-...
Re:Standard Thermal: Energy Storage 500x Cheaper Than Batteries
by jmpman on Monday August 25, 2025 @10:29AM
(#45014253)
People have been able to get their Tesla Model 3 batteries (75kWh iirc) replaced with used battery packs for around $5k, so quite close to what you’re asking.
Re:Standard Thermal: Energy Storage 500x Cheaper Than Batteries
by lawlessone on Monday August 25, 2025 @03:26PM
(#45017880)
Do they get much for the old used battery? the materials are still lithium etc are still inside it, they're just no longer in the right places..
No, that's only 2.7 kWh. Most homes use 10-20 kWh/day. A battery of that size is easily under $1k. Good luck building your ridiculous concrete block system for that.
Batteries are really good. Gravity, not so much. It only works when you can lift & store a tremendous amount of stuff "for free" because nature has done most of the work, e.g. in valleys, mountains, aquifers, caves, etc. If you have to build the whole thing it will never be viable.