The system produced energy to power fans. (Image Credit: Sage Geosystems)
Renewable energy is now more affordable to generate and use compared to energy produced from oil and gas. However, solar and wind are more problematic due to storage. Sage Geosystems, a geothermal Texas-based company, is testing out its system that could significantly improve clean energy storage.
Clean energy systems need storage since communities must have access to power if the region experiences weak winds or moderate-to-low sun brightness. That typically involves storing any excess energy. Conventional energy systems can store power before turning it into electrical energy. Utilities can then use that to produce electricity to meet demand. The downside here is that utilities can’t store wind and solar power since they could end up generating too much energy --- more than the grid needs.
So Sage Geosystems built a 3,200-foot reservoir designed to store water underground. Opening the wellhead valve at the top causes the pressure to release, forcing the water to shoot upward with so much force that it spins a turbine, producing electricity. Renewable energy systems can use this reservoir to store energy in the ground to maintain reserve power.
But how does it work? If a solar array or wind farm generates too much energy, then that energy pumps the water into the reservoir. This means that the underground water can then produce energy when needed. With 5,000 barrels of water, the system generated 200 kWh in five hours. But if you have 10,000 barrels of water, then it generates 200 kWh in nine hours, while 20,000 barrels generate 650 kWh in two hours.
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