How can we store solar and wind energy?
By: Sam Ellis (Vox)
Nature has been storing solar energy longer than there have been humans. Coal is stored solar energy. Peat is stored solar energy. A lot of naturally occurring methane is stored solar energy. Humans have just been too lazy to learn how to utilize that stored solar energy efficiently and cleanly.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
In the past few decades, solar and wind energy have made remarkable progress; they're now satisfying significant portions of our energy demand. But there's a problem holding us back from relying on them even more: They can't be stored very well.
Solar energy is only generated while the sun is up, and wind energy while the wind is blowing. But our power grids are designed to respond to demand whenever it occurs. Even suddenly, as is the case with storms and heat waves.
When solar and wind are not available and demand spikes, power companies need to burn fossil fuels — particularly natural gas, because it can be stored easily. If we want a power grid that relies solely on solar and wind energy, we'll need to come up with ways to store them. Luckily, experts and engineers worldwide are coming up with some genius plans.
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A fantabulous technical breakthrough won't overcome human laziness. Humans will just waste that energy the same way humans have wasted naturally stored solar energy.
Human energy consumption is the problem. Until we tackle that problem then nothing will improve. The promise that technology will allow humans to waste even more energy is just laziness.