The True Purpose of Wind Farms

[OwlHoot]

Huh? Why not use the "spare" electricity to pump river water back up into dams?

(thereby storing the energy and conserving more fresh water)

[minestrone]

Huh? Why not use the "spare" electricity to pump river water back up into dams?

(thereby storing the energy and conserving more fresh water)

Terribly inefficient process which would be powered by a horribly inefficient process.

Also we have pretty much used up all of our places where hydro electric can be used efficiently.

[TimberWolf]

Huh? Why not use the "spare" electricity to pump river water back up into dams?

(thereby storing the energy and conserving more fresh water)

It's possible to get more energy out than put in doing this. If you pump water higher at high tide and generate electricity with it at low tide.

[TimberWolf]

The grid already has overcapacity and has to be powered down when demand doesn't meet supply potential. Demand fluctuates a lot.

[threaded]

Huh? Why not use the "spare" electricity to pump river water back up into dams?

(thereby storing the energy and conserving more fresh water)

IIRC Carol Vorderman was involved in the design of the ceiling gutters for one of them built into a mountain.

Not a lot of people know that.

[TimberWolf]

IIRC Carol Vorderman was involved in the design of the ceiling gutters for one of them built into a mountain.

Not a lot of people know that.

Just a bog standard engineering job working as part of a team as far as I can see.

There is a complex system of gutters in the roof of the caves, to collect water that drips down through the rock. Carol Vordeman worked on this part of the station - helping to design this was one of her first engineering jobs before she moved into television.
Energy Resources: Pumped storage reservoirs