Green Living:Scientists and consumers alike agree that the paramount roadblock to deploying renewable energy production--such as solar--may beefficient energy storage. Do you agree?
The scientific research community unanimously agrees to a certain degree that the 'kryptonite' for carbon dioxide emissions is deploying renewable energy at a wider scale. The fact that solar and wind farms generate more electricity than is needed by consumers at certain periods of the day with no effective storage is a big set back. This innovative study by Stanford University claims this may not be the case. The study is currently published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science.
"We looked at batteries and other promising technologies for storing solar and wind energy on the electrical grid. Our primary goal was to calculate their overall energetic cost -- the total amount of fuel and electricity required to build and operate these storage technologies. We found that when you factor in the energetic costs, grid-scale batteries make sense for storing surplus solar energy--but not for wind." Said Charles Barnhart, the lead author of the study and a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford's Global Climate and Energy Project (GCEP). -- reference
Barnhart concluded that it's important for society to be energy-smart about implementing new technologies. "Policymakers and investors need to consider the energetic cost as well as the financial cost of new technologies. If economics is the sole focus, then less expensive technologies that require significant amounts of energy for their manufacture, maintenance and replacement might win out -- even if they ultimately increase greenhouse gas emissions and negate the long-term benefits of implementing wind and solar power."
Is this a viable solution, and can this way of thinking help?
Read full research article HERE
