Quote:
Originally Posted by LazyScot
There are hydro-electic battery schemes, like the one in the Welsh mountain . Essentially this is a hydro-electic plant that can run backwards, and start up quickly. Clearly there is an environmental impact of constructing such a plant (damage to the environment, CO2 from concrete and construction), and I've no idea if this is better/worse than the equivalent for other battery technologies. |
Yes, I actually mentioned this type of plant earlier, but you may not have recognised the name: it's called a "pump storage" plant. Basically, it pumps water uphill into a reservoir on the top of a mountain using "cheap" electricity in the early hours of the morning then, if a sudden increase in electricity is required (eg everyone goes to make a cup of tea at the end of "Coronation Street") it can be brought on-line in seconds - the reservoir sluices are opened, and the water, running back downhill again, turns a generator to generate power.
It's actually amazingly expensive to operate - its benefit comes from the fact that by having it there on "standby", you can take other types of plant that can't be brought into operation quickly, off-line, so overall you reduce your running costs. It's strictly a "last-ditch emergency reserve" type of power-plant.