The insane potential of Pumped Storage Hydro

Pumped Storage Hydro had, until recently, been all but written off as a fully exploited dead-end for energy storage expansion. According to new research though, it turns nothing could be further from the truth! It could literally be the lynch pin to get us to 100% renewable global electricity grids without having to pillage the earth (and deep seabed) of critical minerals.

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Research Links

Australian National University

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NREL - Closed Loop Pumped storage Hydropower Resource Assessment for USA

NREL - Examining Supply Side Options by 2035

Queensland Supergrid Infrastructure blueprint

IHA - 2022 Hydropower Status Report

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Low-cost renewable electricity as the key driver of the global energy transition - Bogdanov et al

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[mcqueen]

Another interesting video.
Floating solar would fit nicely with most pumped hydro installations.
The panels could help reduce evaporation, while the cooling effect of the water would help increase the efficiency of the panels.
The close proximity would also help reduce transmission losses.

[velisvideos]

An excellent video. However, the potential potential for pumped hydro is much bigger than presented here. As Richard Feynman said, there is plenty of room at the bottom. Namely, the lower reservoir does not need to be above ground. If it is excavated underground, the head can be optimized and potential sites multiplied. This is not even mere theory, as a demonstration plant is being constructed at the Pyhäsalmi mine in Finland. This is the deepest mine in Europe, 1400m.

[mclovin]

I love this guys style. It's like scientific discussions for the layman. The format of the videos is well thought out and the content is focused. I love it. Keep up the good work sir.

[AlanUnis]

Hmm . . . A solution that doesn't decimate our migrating salmon and birds, destroy our environment and might even create jobs! You just made my day! In the middle of this hellish summer, we all needed some optimistic news. Thank you, Dave!

[steverichmond]

I went round the pumped storage hydropower in North Wales went it first opened, followed by a trip round the centre for alternative technology in Mid wales when they opened in the early 1970s. They had a profound effect on my thinking especially as I was working for Shell at the Stanlow Oil Refinery at the time.

[EleanorPeterson]

I like this channel because I feel I'm being informed, not indoctrinated. More of the same, please.

[pipertripp]

We're already using pumped hydro effectively here in Colorado (home of NREL, pronounced "enrel", by the way). We could use more of it, however. All of the major utilities in the state are pushing for 80% renewables mix for customers in the state by 2030. It seems achievable, which is great. These closed loop hydro plants could be very useful, but my concern is the construction times. We will likely need other tech to help us get to a more resilient grid, but this was always going to be the case. It's good to know that we have more options, though. We're going to need them all!

[TheTobs]

Excellent video thank you! Having lived on a rural plot of land without municipal water supply for more than two decades, I quickly learned about the great value of a hydram pump about 400m from my water tank, at a gradual upslope of about 15 degrees. I'm now living in a city suburb and have been thinking that, in addition to solar power, it should work if I have a water tank about 5m high that can easily be filled using solar power (or a self-made ram pump), and connecting it to a little turbine at ground level, which in turn generated some electricity to charge the solar batteries, esp. at night. I do see examples of building a small closed-loop hydropower system for one's own home. Will follow it up! The reason why it is vital to consider such is simple: we cannot trust the government here or any corporation to provide consistent network power (I am from South Africa), where self-sufficiency is the key to future survival.

[thomasalexy]

As always, a well researched and explained video. It underlines - again - that humanities main problem is not the lack of solutions.

[LibertarianLeninistRants]

I didn't expect that there were so many potential spaces to implement pumped storage hydropower. Gives me a lot of hope actually

[jonathanbutson]

The Dinorwig scheme in Wales is well worth a visit. You can climb up the side of the mountain above the power station, this involves climbing up the redundant slate mine, (very interesting) and feel the mountain hum as water is pumped up the mountain during the day ready to be used at peak times.

[stuartgraca]

Presumably the water above and below can be covered with floating solar panels for power and anti evaporation.

[kez]

4:22 - 'that assumption may not hold water' 😅. Dave is a comedic genius as well as providing highly informative and researched videos.

[winfriedtheis]

Really nice video! And I have to say we need these positive news and ideas, what one could lobby for to avoid catastrophe! 😊 Two thoughts came up with me: one, you could use lightly “contaminated” water, so no competition with drinking water; two: put solar panels on top of the reservoirs! The you reduce evaporation and increase energy production, too!

[injest]

This video on pumped storage hydropower is a total eye-opener! 🤯💧 It's incredible to witness the untapped potential of this technology, and I'm convinced it's the key to a greener tomorrow. Let's share this knowledge and work together for a cleaner planet!

[mikeskutches]

This gives a little hope. It becomes clearer and clearer that we can solve our problems on this planet, .... if we can get enough of the species in a similar mindset and pull in the right direction.
Thanks, Dave.
Love you, Man.

[daedalusdreamjournal]

It's good to see a video about solutions. I understand the need to ring the alarm bell, which you do very well, but it's good to also focus on practical solutions that can be done right now.

[crashtech]

Pumped storage is where we are technologically as far as being able to store energy at scale. We need to do more of it, and keep working on all the other things, too.

[rumlsdrinkin]

I've been onboard with adding more pumped hydro as a climate friendly solution for decades now and I'm 35. We can even use a few old mines in certain cases, it's really cool.

[neilbroome]

As an engineer I worked on two pumped storage stations including Dinorwic featured in your vid. The system of pumped storage works well, is fairly low tech and safe compared with the amount of energy that can be stored. Sadly I also know how difficult it was to find a site to build a new pump storage station. There is always a strong lobby, an area of SSI or a national park to be considered. You did not show the areas in the uk identified in the study, Thank you for your work on this topic.