Let It Roll – Storing Energy In Trains
Gravity doesn’t disappear over time. Gravity is present, whether day or night. Gravity doesn’t require any expensive metals. So why not use gravity for energy storage?
Jim Kelly, an extremely experienced energy storage researcher, postulates that using gravity, energy storage efficiency is likely to be around 90 percent.
His idea is to use excess generated energy to push a train up a slope, and then released down an 8-mile track. As the train rolls down the track, it turns a motor that acts as an energy generator, producing some 500 megawatts of power.
Kelly’s idea will be tested on a ranch on the Tehachapi mountains.
If you want to know more about this and other topics directly from end users of energy storage technologies join us at one of these annual events: The Energy Storage World Forum (Grid Scale Applications), or The Residential Energy Storage Forum, or one of our Training Courses.