How to fix clean energy’s storage problem

We can’t truly switch to renewable energy without a breakthrough.

In the past few decades, solar and wind energy have made remarkable progress; they're now satisfying significant portions of our energy demand. But there's a problem holding us back from relying on them even more: They can’t be stored very well.

Solar energy is only generated while the sun is up, and wind energy while the wind is blowing. But our power grids are designed to respond to demand whenever it occurs. Even suddenly, as is the case with storms and heat waves.

When solar and wind are not available and demand spikes, the power companies need to burn fossil fuels — particularly natural gas, because it can be stored easily. If we ever want a power grid that relies solely on solar and wind energy, we’ll need to come up with ways to store them. Luckily, experts and engineers worldwide are coming up with some genius plans.

Watch the video above to learn more about how we might be able to store solar and wind energy and, finally, transition away from fossil fuels.

[Dionyzos]

People always argue that this or that will be the solution to any given problem but in the end it's often a combination of many that solves it.

[gorg]

Energy vault is a greenwash with little potential, pumped hydro is really one of the few methods of mass storage we have

[MrChris]

That rust/Iron solution is actually amazing and the prototype they've installed in a Dutch brewery is doing rather well. Part of what makes the Rust/Iron cycle energy potential is that a) it's very clean when it burns and b) the base Iron is recyclable over and over. Great for boilers or fast to ramp up energy needs.

[BattleshipAgincourt]

Energy vault comes with too many problems and little benefit. It’s a showpiece, which is why none have been seriously considered.

[gookfock]

Thank you for this informative and thought-provoking segment.
Had no idea that we had other options besides battery for storage.
Power to the science and scientists! True superheroes of our time.

[Ruby-nqwk]

This unironically feels like an add for greenwashed energy vault products that don't work and have never worked

[ruelarila]

Thanks Vox for highlighting the work scientists are doing to make batteries for grid energy storage. I'm a graduate chemical engineering student and we're currently working on finding viable electrodes for sodium-ion batteries, which would be much cheaper than the current lithium-ion ones.

[Alirezax]

There is another method being tested in Germany and that is using Hydrogen:
They simply use the excess energy produced to perform electrolysis and split water into Hydrogen and Oxygen and storing it, during peak energy consumption they use the stored hydrogen fuel to generate power again.

[axel]

Outside of those non-scalable storage solutions, there's also the option of using large-scale low-carbon power sources like nuclear and (where applicable) regular hydro.

[bw]

This same thing can also be done with compressed air in salt caverns. I think it’s called CAES, compressed air energy storage.

[ff-qfth]

Quidnet's idea seems to be much more realistic than Energy Vault's, it would take a comparable amount of engineering and would have less maintenance costs, since water doesn't erode like concrete does. And you don't have to reinvent the wheel here, it's just miniturisation of existing technology. Did I mention the CO_2 output of concrete production?

[Vort_tm]

Love these pieces. As this is something I'm keenly interested in, I was familiar with all of these methods, but seeing it packaged into such a clear and concise video is always a pleasure. Thank you.

[letsburn]

Energy vault is enormously expensive and completely unworkable. The mined storage method is basically the same as pumped hydro.

[zylianari]

This video just proved why solar and wind energy is being pushed instead of nuclear energy. They still need fossil fuel as "backup power" during down times.

[WarriorBane]

Im proud of everyone rallying for nuclear energy & wish Vox would cover this(Cleo did but it was about shutdowns). Im studying nuclear engineering, ATOMS FOR PEACE is NONproliferation, clean electricity & heating, medicine, fusion, transportation, space exploration, research, proper waste disposal & recycling, teaching, etc. The experts of the field know best & have statistics & facts to support that it's one of the safest & most energy dense carbon-free energy sources that can reliably deliver power day and night, through every season, almost anywhere on earth, that has been proven to work on a large scale. To stop a problem as big as climate change we need all the help we can get, mass technological & sociopolitical change, because even a few degrees off from our ambitious climate goals is disastrous. Shutting down nuclear plants just replaces them with coal & gas, it needs to continue to be advanced with renewables

[mochithepooh]

This is the more reason why we should and need to invest more in renewable. The more we use it, the more people (try to) find a way to make them cheaper to produce, store, and use.

[kevinmbrooks]

Another option is to overproduce wind and solar and beef up transmission so that it excess in one area can be distributed to an area that has less at that moment.

[dawntreader]

Glad to see pumped hydro being talked about

[I-Maser]

Very disappointed to see Energy Vault beeing presented as a legit Option for large scale energystorage. It cant beat the efficency of pumping water. proposing to build huge Watertowers to pump water up and down from would make more sense

[ltmbookworm]

This is why nuclear power is also very important! It is a reliable source that can be ramped up or down in conjunction with renewables to meet demand.