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Storage and Transport of Energy



Many experts and scientists agree that the biggest issue facing renewable energy is the problem of storing and transporting the captured energy. Because solar and wind energy for example, are intermittent, meaning they cannot be produced 24 hours a day because sunlight and wind are also intermittent, storage of the energy is necessary. For businesses and homes that are local to production, this issue is a lot less problematic because of new techniques of storage. Water can be pumped uphill during the day and released at night providing 24 hours of energy. Air can be compressed below ground and released when production stops. However, these techniques are not very efficient and practical because not every home is located on a slope or above a salt dome for example. Also, if the U.S. is to provide renewable energy for the entire country or even the entire world, transporting the energy via batteries on trucks to power stations is just not feasible or sustainable. Current lithium batteries are just not efficient to store all the captured energy. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that by 2030 the average TPES will be 23 TW based on current policies or 19 TW if policies currently under consideration will be introduced. The energy of sunlight reaching the surface of the earth is more than 5,000 times the TPES; all we have to do is capture enough annually to secure energy for the world’s growing population. Scientists have estimated the land area if covered by solar panels needed to power the planet is roughly smaller than the size of Arizona and if this were to be instituted then how would the country get their energy? The answer is to revamp our current electrical grid allowing for the nation to access energy 24 hours a day and from distances up to thousands of miles away. One of the largest problems America is facing in its attempt to transition from fossil fuel based energy production towards cleaner renewable sources is our electrical grid system. The current grid is actually very good for natural gas, but the high-rise power lines seen along highways and stateliness cannot handle the flowing traffic even today. The need for a change is apparent and absolutely necessary if we are going to reach goals in the near future. The alterations would create thousands of jobs and stimulate the solar industry in the South Western United States. Although the renewable energy sector is in its infancy, production is already limited by the grid’s ability to handle the surge. This is because for decades electric companies have built coal, nuclear, natural gas and oil-fired generators close to customers and thus the gird is built around short, high-voltage lines. But these do not provide nearly enough capacity to move adequate power back and forth; much less handle the additional burden of thousands of renewable sources with output that is intermittent and sometimes hard to predict. In conclusion, we desperately need to rethink and re-engineer our electrical systems in order to get away from fossil fuel sources and allow for an economically feasible renewable energy source for the entire U.S.. In all 3 articles cited from author Wald, he examines the issues relating to the problem of storage and transport of energy in America. In the article, "How to Build the Supergrid," Wald examines how we are not ready for a transition into massive renewable energy production in America. Our need to build, or rebuild, the supergrid is critical if we are to provide communities and major cities with clean energy. As Wald states, "the transmission system must be vastly expanded to reach the remote deserts and high plains where the sun shines most and the wind blows hardest." Matt also adds that, "After years of debate, most engineers agree that a modern overlay should be added on top of the old, piecemeal, overtaxed system, creating a backbone that has greater capacity by using higher voltages and reaching more remote locations." Linking the 3 major grid systems won't be easy and will need lots of funding but Wald stresses it's importance to tackling fossil fuel production. The trouble with transporting energy is that, "electricity for transportation has to be loaded into cars and trucks, either through batteries or perhaps as hydrogen." These techniques are not efficient, as alot of the energy captured is lost via transport. Matt's argument is that the creation of a more efficient widespread supergrid system reaching all of America will help to accomplish the DOE's goal to get 20 percent of U.S. electricity from wind by 2030, a plan for a national, high-voltage transmission backbone. "The 22,000-mile system would be to electricity what the interstate highway system is to transportation, enabling a different kind of energy economy suited for a carbon-conscious era."

Wald, Mathew L.. "How Renewable Energy and Storage Solutions Stack Up." //Scientific American//. Scientific American, 16/02/2009. Web. 14 Nov 2011. []. Wald, Mathew L.. "How to Build The Super Grid." //Scientific American//. Scientific American, 10/11/2010. Web. 14 Nov 2011. []. Wald, Mathew L.. "Giving the Grid some Backbone." //Scientific American//. Scientific American, 3/2009. Web. 14 Nov 2011. []. Mathew L. Wald is a contributing journalist for Scientific American and specializes in energy issues in America and abroad. His work mainly focuses on renewable energy solutions and primarily the issues of infrastructure, but he has also written several articles about sustainability.