this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2024
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I think pumped hydro is reasonably efficient, but requires specific terrain in order to be practical to build. Batteries are getting cheaper, and since grid storage doesn't have the stringent weight and volume requirements that vehicles do, a wider range of chemistries (not just lithium) can be used.
Yes, pumped hydro is really a niche option. As you said, it requires specific terrain - good luck when you have a flat country or no water nearby. It also tends to destroy the nature to some extent.
I really hope to see more developments in the realm of gravity batteries. In many cases they are not geographically constrained, given that it only requires vertical space and mass. Ideally, the land already has high variation in elevations, but the storage capacity can still be increased in areas with little vertical space by increasing the mass of the weight being lifted/lowered.
I'm sure you know this, but for curious readers: pumped hydro is also a gravity battery, but it requires two bodies of water at differing elevation. This means it's limited to coastal areas and places like dams. It's also limited by the smaller capacity reservoir between the two bodies of water; the amount of water moved cannot exceed the maximum capacity of the upper body, nor can it exceed the extra capacity of the resevoir of the upper body.