How to store electricity from renewable energy sources. Scheme, description

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How to store electricity from renewable energy sources. Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering

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Encyclopedia of radio electronics and electrical engineering / Alternative energy sources

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One of the biggest disadvantages of renewable energy sources (RES) is that they are difficult to store. The energy flow of renewable energy sources is extremely variable in time and space. The variability of wind, wave or solar power creates challenges for grid operators and raises doubts about the security of energy supplies. Of course, if you have a small windmill at your dacha, then you can store excess electricity in batteries. But if it is a wind farm of 10 MW or more, then the cost of batteries for it will be equal to the cost of the wind farm itself, and they will occupy a considerable area.

Some politicians, businessmen, scientists believe that renewable energy sources are not economically profitable, because In addition to them, it is necessary to resort to power plants using traditional energy sources as a backup source of energy, in case the wind does not blow or the sky is overcast. Proponents of this point of view argue that, unlike renewable energy sources, the required volume of gas, oil products or coal can be stored in a storage facility. But it is not possible to drive the sun or wind into the tank. Is it so?

The European Commission has funded a number of studies aimed at addressing this particular problem.

The first project concerns the beautiful island of Hierro, the smallest of the Canary Islands, which has been declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. The island's government has decided to cover 100% of the island's energy needs using renewable energy sources. The main role in the island's energy supply is assigned to the wind-hydroelectric system, which allows for the supply of renewable energy. In this system, five large wind turbines produce electricity that is fed into the grid for local use.

Excess electricity (for example, at night) is used to desalinate seawater and pump this water to the top of a hill, into an artificial lake located 700 m above sea level. When there is no wind or the electricity generated is insufficient, high-pressure water from the lake is sent down to hydro turbines and electricity is generated. When wind energy is again sufficient for local needs, the cycle of water storage in the lake starts again. This system will be operational in 2010 and Hierro's experience will be used by other EU islands and territories. The island currently receives its electricity from a 10 MW oil-fired power plant. When the new energy supply system is put into operation, the reduction in CO2 emissions will be 18,7 tons.

The second project is aimed at storing solar energy and concerns the area around the sunny city of Seville in southern Spain. In this case, the energy of the sun is concentrated by huge mirrors on top of a 50-meter concrete tower. Reflected sunlight heats the coolant (water), hot steam rotates the generator turbine. The revolutionary idea lies in the fact that with the sunset, the power plant continues to work. The fact is that during the day the sun's rays heat not only water, but also special containers with salt. When the sun goes below the horizon or the sky is covered with clouds, hot salts instead of the sun heat water, steam is produced and electricity is generated. In the daytime, the process starts again and the salts again store the energy of the sun.

These are just two examples. Some scientists believe that hydrogen and fuel cells could be another renewable energy storage option, others believe that electric vehicles connected to smart grids could be the solution of the future. In any case, it is unacceptable to say that it is better to resort to the use of fossil fuels instead of RES due to the impossibility of storing solar and wind energy. The undeniable fact is that fossil fuels are stored energy from the sun, and it is better to have something else in reserve for the moment in time when they run out.

Publication: AEnergy.ru

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Cow dung can be a problem, especially if they are in stalls where urine and feces are mixed. Because it produces ammonia, an indirect greenhouse gas.

The experiment was carried out on a farm run by the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology in Dammerstorf. Researchers Lindsey Matthews and Douglas Elliff of the University of Auckland said that the training was carried out according to the principle of "carrot and stick". To do this, they set up a special area called MooLoos, lined with artificial grass, where cows can safely urinate without endangering the environment.

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