Canadian firm Hydrostor, a long-duration energy storage solution provider, revealed this week it will develop 1,000 MW of CAES in California, according to a press release.
But what is CAES? It’s a type of battery that uses off-peak or surplus electricity from the grid to produce energy. It does this by using that extra electricity to run a compressor which in turn generates heated compressed air. This air is stored inside a purpose-built underground cavity, where hydrostatic pressure pushes it back to the surface.
Soon, these systems will be helping Californians make the most out of their clean renewable energy. The new Hydrostor facilities will use an updated version of the CAES technology called Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage (A-CAES) that incorporates components from existing energy systems to produce an advanced, emissions-free storage system. Not only is it low-impact and cost-effective, but it can also be placed anywhere the grid needs it.
Source: Interesting Engineering
Name of Author: Loukia Papadopoulos