ENERGYchange.com has established a number of online collaboration groups and forums spanning the Renewable Energy and Alternatives space. These Forums provide an opportunity to collaborate and engage with stakeholders and others that have an interest in the industry. Please feel free to share ideas, ask questions or provide information related to Renewable Energy. To participate in the forum, simply choose a group and submit your input to Network & Share.
The dynamic changes in the development of Solar Energy have converted what was once thought of as a fringe alternative power source into a main stream component of the electrification process.
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Collaboration Group
The Solar Energy Forum was established as a vehicle to exchange information and share ideas
in hopes of advancing the technology and its adoption.
Please feel free to participate in the
Solar Energy Forum
If you wish to become a
Sponsor
of the Solar Energy Forum please check-out the Supporting Sponsor Membership.
The dynamic changes in the development of Wind Energy have converted what was once thought of as a fringe alternative power source into a main stream component of the electrification process.
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Wind Collaboration Group
The Wind Energy Forum was established as a vehicle to exchange information and share ideas
in hopes of advancing the technology and its adoption.
Please feel free to participate in the
Wind Energy Forum
If you wish to become a
Sponsor
of the Wind Energy Forum please check-out the Supporting Sponsor Membership.
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Collaboration Group
The Geothermal Energy Forum was established as a vehicle to exchange information and share ideas
in hopes of advancing the technology and its adoption.
Please feel free to participate in the
Geothermal Energy Forum
If you wish to become a
Sponsor
of the Geothermal Energy Forum please check-out the Supporting Sponsor Membership.
Near Surface Geothermal Energy
Near Surface Geothermal Energy is based upon the constant temperature of a sub-terrain zone
below but close to the surface of the ground.
The system harvests the temperature differential between the ambient air and the underground constant.
This system is flexible and alternates between both the Hot & Cold sides and benefits from not only
the seasonal change of summer and winter but also from the day/night shift.
Near Surface Geothermal Energy is typically harvested with the assistance of a heat pump to aid
HVAC
systems to achieve heating and cooling.
More novel approaches attempt to harvest electricity directly from the passive
temperature gradient.
Designing a TEG harvester module tuned to efficiently operate at a 10 °C gradient average may provide an opportunity for passive direct to electricity harvest year round.
Deep Geothermal Energy
Traditional Geothermal Energy is based on the high temperatures generated from deep within the earths core.
The ability to tap into the thermal effect of volcanic magna nodes and to extract the temperature and pressure
generated within geothermal aquifers has been the limiting historic methods used to determine the location of Geothermal operations.
Currently there has been activity in the area of deep closed loop wells where water is pumped down from the surface,
allowed to absorb the heat from deep underground, which then expands back to the surface where the thermal energy may be harvested.
This closed loop well method may vastly expand the options for viable locations to site Geothermal Energy Harvesting operations.
Please feel free to participate in the
Geothermal Energy Forum
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Collaboration Group
The Hydro Electric Generation Forum was established as a vehicle to exchange information and share ideas
in hopes of advancing the technology and its adoption.
Please feel free to participate in the
Hydro Electric Generation Forum
If you wish to become a
Sponsor
of the Hydro Electric Generation Forum please check-out the Supporting Sponsor Membership.
The generation of
Thermal Power
is a strategic cornerstone in todays energy grid.
The efforts to move from traditional
Fossil Fuels
towards
Renewable Energy Alternatives
has become a predominate focus currently.
In our rush to avoid the use of Fossil Fuels we may have overlooked the fundamentals and importance of
Remediation & Emission Control
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Collaboration Group
The Thermal Electric Generation Forum was established as a vehicle to exchange information and share ideas
in hopes of advancing the technology and its adoption.
Please feel free to participate in the
Thermal Electric Generation Forum
If you wish to become a
Sponsor
of the Thermal Electric Generation Forum please check-out the Supporting Sponsor Membership.
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Collaboration Group
The Nuclear Power Forum was established as a vehicle to exchange information and share ideas
in hopes of advancing the technology and its adoption.
Please feel free to participate in the
Nuclear Power Forum
If you wish to become a
Sponsor
of the Nuclear Power Forum please check-out the Supporting Sponsor Membership.
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Collaboration Group
The Bio Fuels & Bio Gas Forum was established as a vehicle to exchange information and share ideas
in hopes of advancing the technology and its adoption.
Please feel free to participate in the
Bio Fuels & Biogas Forum
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Collaboration Group
The Waste to Energy Forum was established as a vehicle to exchange information and share ideas
in hopes of advancing the technology and its adoption.
Please feel free to participate in the
Waste to Energy Forum
Energy Storage Basics
The basic premise for the need of
Energy storage
is to act as a buffer between the unpredictable or
intermittent generation of incoming energy in the
charging
stage and the desired consistent
discharge
of energy.
The range of the buffer may be determined by the gap in time between the total incoming volume of energy
and the desired output flow rate.
An ideal storage buffer maintains sufficient reserve capacity both on the charging and discharging sides to
maintain consistent power output to operate around the clock, 24/7 all year long.
The size of the Energy Storage capacity may be established by the duration or
desired reserves of output for the time period selected.
The major limiting factors in establishing an energy storage system are largely determined by the acceptable capital cost
of the system itself and the energy conversion
losses
inherent in the storage method chosen.
Energy Storage Cycle
The three main steps that are the important determining factors are the
charge
cycle,
storage stage
and
discharge
cycle.
By disassociating the charging cycle from the discharging cycle, a storage technology may achieve the function of a
time shiftable energy storage system.
The implementation of the flexibility to simultaneously charge & discharge the storage system
may maintain a consistent, reliable and stable buffer.
Charging Cycle
The common sources of energy used to
charge
an energy storage system tend to be
unpredictable or intermittent types of generation.
An ideal Energy Storage System is designed to accommodate the fluctuating flow of incoming power.
Energy may be collected from numerous
Harvesting Methods
and
sources
to charge the storage system.
Storage Methods
Energy, if it is not to be consumed right away, can be accumulated and retained in storage mediums for future usage.
The two basic approaches to energy storage are in the form of either
electric charge
storage
or in the form of a non-electric charge alternative potential energy
storage medium.
Electric Charge Storage
The traditional thinking surrounding the storage of surplus electricity is in the form of
battery storage
in electrochemical batteries and has expanded to include capacitors and flow batteries.
Alternative Storage Mediums
Energy may be collected, consolidated and stored in various forms.
Energy storage in the forms of
Temperature
or
Pressure
are broadly understood as working fluids
(both pressurized non-compressible liquids and compressed gasses).
Other lesser known forms of alternative or
potential energy
are an important factor in the energy recovery harvesting and storage field.
Potential energy storage in the form of materials classed as MASS lends itself to
Short Cycle Regeneration.
Storage & Conversion Losses
Depending on the storage methodology, Losses of energy in the duration of storage may occur due to self discharging rates.
The conversion rate from the storage medium back into useable energy must be taken into account to properly allow
for the losses incurred overall into the charging, storage and discharging efficiency.
Discharging Cycle
Maintaining a reliable, stable discharge rate of the accumulated stored energy, on an as desired or on demand basis,
is a fundamental goal of an Energy Storage Technology.
The speed of response when called upon to discharge is an important factor to take into account.
The conversion losses of the discharge methods may or may not be a critical factor.
A controlled discharge rate may maintain the energy requirements to keep an industrial plant operation
supplied with a continuous baseline power input.
A properly designed storage system may be compatible with a
Short Cycle Regeneration
strategy.
Accumulator Storage Buffer
The energy storage accumulator acts as a buffer between the highly variable incoming charge rates and a homogenous discharge output.
Alternative and harvested energy sources are not only intermittent from day to night,
they may vary widely from minute to minute in intensity.
This continuous fluctuation is contrary to the homogenous output required to reliably feed the electricity grid.
The storage accumulator may accept incoming charges at various intensities and intermittent rates and act independently of the
discharge cycle.
The size and scope of the storage capacity will determine the degree of independence the system may achieve or maintain.
Energy Storage may
take the form
of either Electron Storage or Non-Electron Storage.
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Online Collaboration Forum
We invite you to participate in the Online Collaboration Forum to promote the transfer of information and ideas
regarding Energy Storage Technology.
Please feel free to
submit
your input to the Energy Storage Technology Forum.
If you wish to become a
Sponsor
of the Energy Storage Technology Forum please check-out the Supporting Sponsor Membership.
Thermal Energy Storage
Thermal Energy Storage, heat storage, transfer and conversion of energy, sensible thermal storage,
latent thermal energy storage (phase change)
Thermal Energy Storage.
Gravity Energy Storage
Gravity Energy Storage uses gravitational potential energy to fall back to the ground and drive a generator
in an effort to level out intermittent alternative energy sources.
Gravity Energy Storage
Compressed Air Capture & Storage
Compressed Air Capture & Storage - Compressed Air Capture & Storage for future energy use
Compressed Air Capture & Storage
Exothermic Element Storage
The
Exothermic Element Storage
system converts selected energy carrier materials into a long term storage medium to
hold energy for release on demand at a future time.
A prime example for
Exothermic Element
Energy Storage may be a novel approach to the regeneration of energy.
If you have an interest in becoming a sponsor of The Renewable Energy & Alternatives Forums please check-out membership in the Renewable Energy & Alternatives Network. This is a unique networking opportunity that provides exposure to engage with a highly targeted industry group.
