Gather the Wind

The article explores the issue of renewable energy storage for excess solar and wind power. A challenge facing renewable energy production is the erratic generation of energy relative to electricity supply and demand, making it difficult for wind and solar power plants to compete economically with traditional power utilities. Various energy storage technologies are evaluated for factors such as scalability, cost-effectiveness, and energy efficiency. Storage facility types reviewed include pumped hydroelectric, compressed air, and thermal storage.

 

Castelvecchi, D. (2012). Gather the Wind. Scientific American, 306(3), 48-53.