The Intermittency Challenge and the approaching need for massive storage of rapidly dispatchable energy has led the concept of the National Battery, a unified facility that holds the aggregated outputs from an array of intrinsically episodic renewable sources, releasing energy as demand requires. In this contribution, the original demonstration of Murphy that lead-acid batteries are inappropriate is first reviewed and then extended to show that no commercially available battery technology is at present appropriate. However, prospectively, underground pumped hydro storage could suffice, and at a lesser cost than suitable batteries.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2012.02.027

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This is how the idea is introduced:

Donald Sadoway is working on a battery miracle — an inexpensive, incredibly efficient, three-layered battery using “liquid metal.”

Professor Sadoway explains that his angle has been to design around the oil price point, not around some wild and cool technology that can never compete economically. He goes on to say he wants his battery to use abundantly available materials and work in a simple, low cost way. The talk is loaded with an understated arrogance and false modesty.

After the talk I did some reading on one of the electrode materials, Antinomy (Sb). I discovered that it is very rare, produced almost exclusively in China, and expected to be completely depleted on Earth in a few years. Could this be the same plentiful material that Sadoway is talking about? His presentation suggests that for his system to work at the grid level, he’s going to need a whole lot of Sb, and possibly continue needing a new supply forever.

Either he knows something we don’t or he is just getting warmed up using antimony and will be substituting for it with some other more commonly available materials.

I’d like to hear more about this antimony and what I am missing…..

Donald Sadoway: The missing link to renewable energy | Video on TED.com

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Due to the stochastic nature of wind, electric power generated by wind turbines is highly erratic and may affect both the power quality and the planning of power systems. Energy Storage Systems (ESSs) may play an important role in wind power applications by controlling wind power plant output and providing ancillary services to the power system and therefore, enabling an increased penetration of wind power in the system. This article deals with the review of several energy storage technologies for wind power applications. The main objectives of the article are the introduction of the operating principles, as well as the presentation of the main characteristics of energy storage technologies suitable for stationary applications, and the definition and discussion of potential ESS applications in wind power, according to an extensive literature review. Examinations of compressed air storage, battery, flow battery, regenerative fuel cell, flywheel, and supercapacitor storage.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2012.01.029

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The present work compares the environmental impact of three different thermal energy storage (TES) systems for solar power plants. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for these systems is developed: sensible heat storage both in solid (high temperature concrete) and liquid (molten salts) thermal storage media, and latent heat storage which uses phase change material (PCM). The aim of this paper is to analyze if the energy savings related to the stored energy of the different systems are enough to balance the environmental impact produced during the manufacturing and operation phase of each storage system. Some hypothetical scenarios are studied using LCA methodology to point out the differences between each TES system.The system based on solid media, due to his simplicity, shows the lowest environmental impact per kWh stored of all three systems compared. In addition, the liquid media (molten salts) shows the highest impact per kWh stored because it needs more material and complex equipment.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2012.01.008

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1. Chemical solutions for the closed-cycle storage of solar energy
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The global market for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries has risen fivefold to $10 billion a year over the past decade. But lithium supplies are limited, and the cost of the metal has skyrocketed in recent years. So researchers are on the lookout for novel battery chemistries. At the meeting, researchers described materials that could pave the way for making rechargeable batteries from aluminum. Because aluminum is one of the most abundant elements on the planet, and is less prone to catching fire than lithium is, it could pave the way to cheaper and safer rechargeables.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.335.6065.163-b

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This study investigates two methods of transforming intermittent wind electricity into firm baseload capacity: (1) using electricity from natural gas combined-cycle (NGCC) power plants and (2) using electricity from compressed air energy storage (CAES) power plants. The two wind models are compared in terms of capital and electricity costs, CO2 emissions, and fuel consumption rates. The findings indicate that the combination of wind and NGCC power plants is the lowest-cost method of transforming wind electricity into firm baseload capacity power supply at current natural gas prices (∼$6/GJ). However, the electricity supplied by wind and CAES power plants becomes economically competitive when the cost of natural gas for electric producers is $10.55/GJ or greater. In addition, the Wind-CAES system has the lowest CO2 emissions (93% and 71% lower than pulverized coal power plants and Wind-NGCC, respectively) and the lowest fuel consumption rates (9 and 4 times lower than pulverized coal power plants and Wind-NGCC, respectively). As such, the large-scale introduction of Wind-CAES systems in the U.S. appears to be the prudent long-term choice once natural gas price volatility, costs, and climate impacts are all considered.

doi:10.1016/j.rser.2011.11.009

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1. Air Emissions Due To Wind And Solar Power
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