Sodium Ion battery

[Gadget Geek]

The ideal solution will be a mix of technologies, rapid response and frequency stabilisation from LiPO batteries, followed by higher capacity storage from flow batteries and compressed air to cover days with lower production from renewables. The USGS study was interesting as it looked at the affordability and cost effectiveness of the technologies.

 

[Bam Bam]

I would take that one with a pinch of salt if it thinks hydrogen is going to squeeze out compressed air and pumped hydro. There aren't enough renewables around to produce the amount of green hydrogen needed, which leaves steam reclaimation of methane. I'm betting this chart was produced by the oil and gas industry.

Good idea to treat anything related to Hydrogen with a pinch of salt. It's often used as a delay tactic by fossil (in many senses of the term) interests.

Direct electrification always wins where it is possible because hydrogen has massive losses in conversion.

Hydrogen does currently seem to be the most likely option for long term renewable energy storage, though, which is what this was about. You don't want to build a battery or pumped hydro facility and use it once every two or three years. But you might be able to find somewhere to store a hydrogen molecule for that long (underground salt caverns apparently).

 

[Coulomb]

But you might be able to find somewhere to store a hydrogen molecule for that long (underground salt caverns apparently).

Huh. I would have though that the tiny and wily hydrogen atom would find plenty of cracks to escape through in a cavern.

Then again, there is talk about mining natural hydrogen. But maybe that's in the form of compounds that the hydrogen can be liberated from. But a quick search indicates that it occurs as ordinary H₂, and that salt layers and some clays can seal it. Strange.