Wind and solar power vary throughout the day, so energy storage is essential to provide a continuous flow of electricity. Pumped hydro, on the other hand, allows for larger and longer storage than conventional batteries. It is also cheaper for overnight and long-term storage.
Pumped-storage energy storage projects involve pumping upstream the turbined fluid from one reservoir to a higher reservoir to store it and, when energy is needed, releasing the water to flow downstream through the turbines, generating electricity on its way to the lower reservoir.
So, during off-peak periods, when energy is cheap and renewable supplies from wind and solar facilities exceed demand, the turbines pump water into the upper reservoir where it acts as a battery of stored potential energy. Conversely, during high energy use, the system will discharge energy as water from the upper reservoir flows downhill through the turbines. The exchange between the two reservoirs will not consume water and is closed loop.
To drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we need a lot more solar and wind power generation, and a lot of cheap energy storage. Pumped hydro is a solution for this. In this context, Indar submersible pumping solutions are a highly relevant asset for achieving electricity generated by pumped storage.
Indar pumps designed for this application are as follows: