Renewable Energy Breakthroughs in Solar, Wind and Batteries

We are at an amazing tipping point with recent renewable energy breakthroughs. To achieve a carbon-free world, the challenge is staggering, but so is the size of the opportunity. Technology and innovation pioneer Bill Gross shares new developments that make this tipping point a reality.

[wedding_photography]

I want to see the calculations on the maintenance costs. Something mechanical that lifts and lowers heavy weights non-stop all day long is bound to have wear and mechanical failures.

[garymenezes]

in Portugal, they now face the long lines for the gas stations, but this has been caused bu lorry driver strikes. Electric car owners seem to be unaffected

[GrrMeister]

*Was that an unintentional **_Freudian Slip_** at **8:55** Low / High Efficiency Motors etc ?*

[MG-yehu]

He is absolutely right about identifying storage as the key to the transitions to renewable energy. However, I doubt that mechanical solutions like those cranes will do it. The energy density is just too low, you would need hundreds of thousand of them to cover the storage needed. The most likely contenders are hydrogen or sulfur batteries, if costs can be brought down significantly.

[hilmarketing]

Thank you from 'H2 Innovation Lab' H2IL - technology for a green sustainable hydrogen future.

[MrBrew]

At 9:08 he talks about the blocks needing to be light... hmm, wouldn't you store more gpe by making them as dense as possible? Why not use rock?

[markjuhasz]

"It is really not just about saving the Planet It is an enormous economic opportunity" :)

[michelangelobuonarroti]

Transporting all those blocks to a new installation would be very costly, although it's one-time expense. Is that factored in?
A similar idea is a drilled shaft to raise and lower weights. Those could be much deeper than the stacked blocks are tall, and the exposed unit would be just a small building, so many could be installed in any storage area.

[chaptertravels]

The biggest clean energy breakthrough is the molten salt nuclear reactor.

[Ihaveausernametoo]

The gravity battery is very promising. It's so simple (minus the computer controlled etc), I like it.

[dlwatib]

Great talk. Sounds like he might be onto something. Certainly worth some testing.

Looking for something cheap and heavy to stack? Ever seen columnar basalt? Easily cut up into manageable-sized blocks (using diamond saws) and stacked.

[davidrussell]

Soon I will be showing how a mechanical piston engine works. It changes potential energy into kinetic energy without the loss of potential energy. A life saver for the whole world.

[stijndecocker]

0:28 the Volkswagen Golf was only produced starting from 1974, so the photo can't be from 1973 :-)

[veronicathecow]

What about using old coal mines etc for pumped water storage?

[pknowles]

Ever thought of Molten Salt reactors - needs developing - definitely a much cheaper, safer & less hazardous type of nuclear energy - definitely a way to change the way everyone lives while developing better 'greener' storage systems. Got to realize that all these types of renewable energy & storage systems require maintenance that put peoples lives at risk (during construction & operation). There are statistics that show the cost per kWatt per death & the nuclear industry has the best record.

[Apjooz]

This should be implemented at solar panel factories to get solar breeder factories going and then go from there.

[glennnaylor]

What about shipping containers filled with compacted trash. Total capacity about 35 tons all of the infrastructure for moving and handling the containers already exists and I know that they can be stacked at least 10 high. Shipping containers are extremely durable made out of a rust resistant Steel and can be purchased inexpensively for used containers. Automation already exists for moving these containers. I think the lock and attachments for the containers there are automatic ones could be configured to do Silo type stacks Alpha stationary Hammerhead crane using an inner and outer rings and I have no doubt that that stocking capacity of the containers could probably exceed 10 high with the correct engineering don't know whether you thought of this but may help.

[ttystikkrocks]

Stox of blox with rox.

Just don't drop them on your Sox.

[richardbest]

you need to get ambri in on this there specialty is grid tie storage.

[nicevideomancanada]

make the Blocks out of Recycled Plastic as there is no other use for it.