Prof. Dr. Eduard Heindl TEDx Stuttgart 2013-2-10

StorageThe Key to

Renewable Energy

Global electricity demand

30% annual growth rate

Phot

ovol

taic

[MW

p]

Today : 0.5%1998 : 0.003%

Global Photovoltaic Power

2028 : 50% ?

Highest production: China

Largest power plant: India

Most installed 2011: Italy

Most modules: Germany

Best cell efficiency: USA

Photovoltaic is GlobalWe have a problem: Storage

Power demand

Conventional sources

Solar power

existing storage capacity (Germany)

Store and use later

We need storage

• low price per kWh• high efficiency• small footprint

Batterieslow price per kWhhigh efficiencysmall footprint

200$/kWh

Power to Gaslow price per kWhhigh efficiencysmall footprint

Wikipedia

25%

Pumped Hydrolow price per kWhhigh efficiencysmall footprint

Wikipedia

My new Idea:

Hydraulic Hydro Storage

h=r

r

l=2r

h=r

r

l=2r

mass ~ r³height ~ r

costs per kWh~1/r²

storage capacity:E ~ g * m * h

building costs:b ~ r²

r³r

storage capacity:E = 2 π g ρ * r4

h=r

r

l=2r

mass ~ r³height ~ r

costs per kWh~1/r²

storage capacity:E ~ g * m * h

building costs:b ~ r²

r³r

storage capacity:E = 2 π g ρ * r4?

double the radius the price goes down to aquarter

Risin og Kellingin, Färöern (Heindl/Pustlauck)

1000m

Salto Ángel, Venezuela (Wikipedia)

80m300m

Cliffs

Sealingmetal

Surfacesealing to keep rock dry

detail

10 bar per O-ringsealing ring

Business modelBuy cheap powerWait Sell expensive power

Big BusinessThe energy in a fully charged 500 m radius systemis worth 160 million US $!

Hydraulic Hydro Storage low price per kWh high efficiency small footprint

Renewable Energy

+Storage

Clean + Sustainable Future