Earlier quoted context omitted.
We do have a virtually inexhaustible source of salt water..
Fresh water, not quite so easily sourced.
That is sort of the point of this article.
Also read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_desalination
Researchers have developed a water-based battery to store solar and wind energy
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Re: Researchers have developed a water-based battery to store solar and wind energy
#62>Cui estimated that, given the water-based battery’s expected lifespan, it would cost a penny to store enough electricity to power a 100-watt lightbulb for twelve hours. Oh dear, I hate university news "journalism" with a passion. For the life of me I cannot understand why they feel the need to dumb down parts of the content while other parts remain decidedly technical. Is it to have something that laymen can quote?…
Well that'd be 1.2 kWh, stored for a penny. Average electricity price in the U.S. is 10 cents/kWh. I've often criticized people for ignoring the cost of storage when talking about wind/solar prices, but at a penny per kWh it's pretty insignificant.
But that’s for storage, not production.
Re: Researchers have developed a water-based battery to store solar and wind energy
#63Earlier quoted context omitted.
Well that'd be 1.2 kWh, stored for a penny. Average electricity price in the U.S. is 10 cents/kWh. I've often criticized people for ignoring the cost of storage when talking about wind/solar prices, but at a penny per kWh it's pretty insignificant.
But that’s for storage, not production.
Yes and at peak renewables production time, price is negative, as they don't have anywhere to offload it.
Re: Researchers have developed a water-based battery to store solar and wind energy
#64Re: Researchers have developed a water-based battery to store solar and wind energy
#65Re: Researchers have developed a water-based battery to store solar and wind energy
#66This is really brilliant. They cycle between two chemical species that are thermodynamically very stable in our atmosphere, solid MnO2 and Mn2+. This is very smart as a starting point because you don't need to worry about the electrodes slowly rusting away (compare: related work with exotic/expensive/unstable rare earth oxides) Also this redox couple charges at 1.6 V so oxygen production (which is bad in a cell that…
Makes me wonder why they didn't think of this before or what challenges have they overcome this time.
> Makes me wonder why they didn't think of this before
Because a brute-force search is something only an IT professional can come up with.
Re: Researchers have developed a water-based battery to store solar and wind energy
#67> it would cost a penny to store enough electricity to power a 100-watt lightbulb for twelve hours Ha, 100 watt lightbulbs do not exist! /s
They still do because some folks need to heat/light the chicken coop or compressor. /s not withstanding
Re: Researchers have developed a water-based battery to store solar and wind energy
#68I wonder how safe this will be with hydrogen gas being a part of it. Sounds promising but you’d want it extra safe considering a mini Hindenburg would be attached to your house. Edit. I suppose I read it incorrectly as this is being invented for the utility scale.
One of the major complaints when they trialed fuel cell buses in London years ago was that people though the fueling station would blow up ala hindenberg.
Hindenburg
Re: Researchers have developed a water-based battery to store solar and wind energy
#69Earlier quoted context omitted.
Makes me wonder why they didn't think of this before or what challenges have they overcome this time.
> Makes me wonder why they didn't think of this before Because a brute-force search is something only an IT professional can come up with.
“I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” ― Thomas A. Edison
Re: Researchers have developed a water-based battery to store solar and wind energy
#70Earlier quoted context omitted.
Fresh water, not quite so easily sourced.
Atomic process heat is near ideal for water desalination. Granted, investments in atomic energy eliminates a lot of the need for storage...
remote deserted locations around the world could have a nuclear facility that also creates batteries.