Researchers are eyeing the world’s most basic element—water—as a potential solution for the challenge of how to store renewable energy for long-term use. “The energy sectors of most countries are undergoing a transition to renewable energy sources, particularly wind and solar generation,” says IIASA postdoc Julian Hunt, one of the researchers on the project, in a press statement. SPHS requires pumping water into a deep storage reservoir--which must be built parallel to a major river--during times of high water flow or low energy demand. If water is scarce or demand for energy increases, the reservoir can release stored water to generate electricity. Long-term energy storage costs the team analyzed varied from US$1.80 to $50 per megawatt hour, while short-term energy storage costs ranged from US$370 to $600 per kiloWatt of installed power generation capacity.

Source: Ethiopian News March 13, 2020 08:03 UTC