Picture a battery that’s the size of a tractor trailer. If you need to store more power, just add more trailers and wire them all together.
That should give you a pretty good idea of what energy storage is all about.
The U.S. now has more than 550 megawatts of these “virtual power plants” hooked up to the electric grid.
And we’re starting to see energy storage become a big deal in what might seem like an unlikely place.
Energy Storage & Virtual Power Plants
Much of the United States’ storage capacity is in place in California and Arizona. (More battery storage is coming online in Texas as well.)
Those are all places where wind turbines fill an increasingly larger proportion of the regional power-generating load.
When the power grid doesn’t need all that electricity, the battery systems are standing by to store the excess.
And according to recent reports, Mexico appears ready to join the energy storage parade.
Mexico’s Energy Regulatory Commission recently told energy storage experts that it’s in the market to buy up to 2,300 megawatts of storage over the next decade.
South of the Border
Renewable energy like solar and wind is a big hit with residents and businesses in Mexico’s Baja region. But officials say the unreliable nature of renewables is starting to strain the power lines in the region.
So Mexico’s energy commissioners want to install at least 20 megawatts of energy storage in Baja to absorb the excess power from all those solar panels. The stored power can then be released when needed.
According to published reports, Mexico plans to increase its wind power generation by 400% through 2020. That means it will likely need to add even more energy storage to make full use of this inexhaustible resource.
It’s a scenario that plenty of other energy markets, in the U.S. and around the world, are coming to terms with. And it’s a key reason why I’ve made energy storage a part of my Total Wealth Insider portfolio.
Kind regards,
Jeff L. Yastine
Mr Robert Lucas January 5, 2018
Is anyone at Weiss Research monitoring “super Capacitors.” A group known as Kilowatt Labs was interviewed on youtube this past week and this looks like it could well be the “electrical storage unit of the future. I’ve made a feeble attempt to find the company on the stock exchanges but with out success. Please let me know if you folks can check the company and their inventions . Thanks
Phil January 5, 2018
A megawatt is a unit of power. For example a “battery which can deliver one amp at one volt will produce one watt of power. Energy storage is about providing power for some period of time. In this example if the battery could provide one watt of power for an hour it would be a one watt hour battery.
A Nuke power plant provides the order of a Megawatt, 24/7 for most of a year – that is a real ENERGY source.
What is the storage capability of these magic batteries in watt Hours, or watt days?
Robert Gylling January 5, 2018
Energy is measured in megawatthours – not in MW (megawatts). The latter is
a measure of power – and you cannot store power… only energy.
Best regards
redchevy4 January 4, 2018
Recently, I read an article stating “air batteries” were going to take some of the market away from lithium batteries. Is there any truth to this, and what is an “air battery”?
Thanks
Paula
Mr Russell Icenoggle January 4, 2018
No secret-ViZn Energy of Columbia Falls, Montana is producing and selling worldwide .These are zinc-iron non-corrosive ,etc. Check out viznenergy.com
Diana Estrada January 4, 2018
Hi thanks for all your information. I want to invest small amounts of money in stocks and cash out when it grows leaving 1/3 in to continue growing. What do you recommend? Also what can you tell me about Bitcoin, I know it’s growing but will crash how can I invest and take out intime.?
Thanks and Happy New Year.
Raoul Schur January 4, 2018
Vanadium isn’t mentioned here. I thought that’s the future for large storage batteries?
Bob January 3, 2018
Jeff,
So why the secret??? I have never heard of such a battery. Hopefully it is NOT made from Lithium and Cobalt, remember those batteries burn up without notice. I have not heard of a fix yet. Have you??
I do know what future batteries will be made from…….but that’s a secret too.
Bob
Rose Campbell January 2, 2018
I reread with interest and trepidation the article on the “K-Wave” . Frightening the first time but when comments were made that “it will hit in the next few days” with the EU breaking up, etc and then realise that this article was written in 2016, it makes one wonder. Is there an update? A year in this crazy world is a very long time. How many times can one cry “wolf”? Will we believe you when the wolf is here?
In spite of this thank you for your amazing work.
Jake Sysk January 2, 2018
Looks like GE will be selling more wind turbines and solar panels, Good news for Silver Cobalt and Copper. Later on Oil, Ng and Coal will pay their dues.
david gubin January 3, 2018
About energy stored
How much may or will cost this storage capacity ?
You have an ideia of the cost of this kind of batery, to build it ?