Alternatives to store energy

 The basic problem the world has with renewable energy sources is that solar and wind renewables are not consistently available, but the power they generate must be available all the time. The only way to overcome this problem is with either better battery storage, that is environmentally friendly and affordable, or to find new technologies to do this.

Some of the new ideas that are coming out are to store the energy in unconventional ways such as freezing water, compressing air and pumping water from a low potential to a higher potential. All these are done when electricity manufacture is high, during the day when the solar is high or when the wind is high.  When production is low, ice can be thawed, compressed air can be released and water can power a turbine as it falls.

Alternatives are to use new types of batteries like thermal energy storage batteries, storing heat in a rock like substance and recapturing the heat when needed.



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