Comments on: Can Solar Help Usher In Storage for the Grid? http://gigaom.com/2010/09/18/can-solar-help-usher-in-storage-for-the-grid/ Thu, 23 May 2013 00:23:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: sam kelly http://gigaom.com/2010/09/18/can-solar-help-usher-in-storage-for-the-grid/#comment-278866 Sun, 19 Sep 2010 17:42:58 +0000 http://gigaom.com/?p=157277#comment-278866 Regarding energy storage please look at storing energy with a contained vacuum (the opposite of CAES). It seems impractical with the seemingly insignificant energy density of atmospheric air and prohibitive cost of containing a substantial volume against 14.6 psi. Both these notions are wrong! The energy of a standard atmosphere is given as 101325 newtons per square meter (Pa) times volume in cubic meters. And with conventional shotcrete dome construction large pressure-proof structures are now practical. At this time an 80 meter diameter shotcrete sphere, which can provide over 3 megawatt hours of working energy storage can be constructed for about $5 million. Ongoing developments in the shotcrete industry can offer greater cost reductions.

Because these spheres can be produced on site anywhere on the grid by an ordinary workforce, they can be scaled and adapted to regional needs.

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