Extreme Weather: Sustainable Infrastructure
The majority of the United States is currently experiencing the effects of extreme weather. In Texas, more than 3.4 million people have been without power for almost 2 days due to major suppliers dealing with frozen infrastructure. While we continue to rely predominantly on non-renewable energy sources like natural gas or petroleum, the effects of climate change on our weather patterns will continue to worsen.
Texas is the largest producer and consumer of energy in the US (takes energy to make energy). As one of the top producers of natural gas and crude oil, it may come as a surprise that Texas also leads the nation in wind-powered generation and produced 28% of all U.S. wind-powered electricity in 2019.
Texas is a fascinating case study because unlike other states, Texas runs its own self-contained electric grid called ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas). This means that the state rarely has to comply with federal regulations but it also means that there are few options for ERCOT to borrow energy from neighboring states during an emergency. If you want to read more about Texas’ power grid history and the decision to avoid federal regulation, you can find that here.
As an avid zero waster and sustainability nerd, I was ecstatic to read that the Mayor of Houston had advised his constituents to turn their thermostats down to 68 degrees F and to turn off and unplug unnecessary electronics and lights. In general I do believe this is something we should be doing all the time, not just while experiencing extreme weather events. To read more about “energy vampires” check out this link.
The big freeze taking place throughout the U.S. is a not-so-subtle reminder for all of us to conserve resources, and the resource we’ll be talking about today is energy. Understanding how electrical grids are operated can be confusing so to keep it simple- power supply and demand must be equal at any given moment. This requires grid operators to accurately predict how human behavior, weather, equipment, etc. will effect the power grid.
A major topic of conversation and innovation these days is all about how we store renewable energy so we can, for example, use solar power at night. Storing energy has become one of the most important hurdles in the race to renewables.
So let’s hop right into the many different kinds of energy storage!
Pumped Hydroelectric- an exceedingly popular form of energy storage, pumped hydroelectric is a configuration of two water reservoirs at different elevations that can generate power (discharge) as water moves down through a turbine; this draws power as it pumps water (recharge) to the upper reservoir. The largest pumped storage hydroelectric facility in the world is right here in Virginia- Bath County Pumped Storage Station
Compressed Air- so far there are only 2 operating compressed air storage facilities in the world, one in Germany built in 1978 and one in Alabama built in 1991. This method works by converting electricity into highly pressurized compressed air and stored for later use. When energy is needed, this compressed air is released into turbine generators so it can be used as electricity again.
Flywheels- this is a tough one to cover as I am not a NASA scientist. Flywheel energy storage works by accelerating a rotor (flywheel) to a very high speed and maintaining the energy in the system as rotational energy. When energy is extracted from the system, the rotational force is reduced (principle of conservation of energy); adding energy to the system correspondingly results in an increase in the speed of the flywheel. The largest flywheel energy storage system in the world is in Stephentown, New York.
Batteries- batteries! The most well-known energy storage systems. Rechargeable batteries store energy until it is needed. One of the most well-known and effective batteries is the lithium-ion battery which has seen an 85% decline in price since 2010. Lithium-ion batteries were first developed in the 1970’s and later commercialized by Sony in 1991. While there are major pros and cons when it comes to battery storage, the dramatic drop in price should be a major indicator to all that the industry is working toward reliable, cost effective, and efficient energy storage systems to carry renewable energy into the new age. More on batteries later.
Thermal Energy Storage- this form of storage, like many of the others, is achieved using widely different and varying technologies. Excess thermal energy is stored in some type of container and is either heated or cooled so that the stored energy can be used at a later time for heating and cooling operations and power generation. These kinds of systems are usually found in buildings and industrial processes. I found this helpful article if you’re looking for more information!
For any and all energy storage systems it’s important to keep in mind that energy conversion results in a loss of energy. I plan to take a deep dive into the myriad of positives and negatives that each of these energy storage options provide.
If you or someone you love is struggling to keep warm in Texas, please visit www.tdem.texas.gov/warm to find the nearest warming station.
-Regan