San Diego to Develop 500 MW Hydropower Energy Storage Project

[thackney]

San Diego to Develop 500 MW Hydropower Energy Storage Project
http://www.power-eng.com/articles/2018/01/san-diego-to-develop-500-mw-hydropower-energy-storage-project.html
Jan 22, 2018

Black & Veatch has been selected to serve as owners’ representative for an energy storage facility at the San Vicente Reservoir near Lakeside in San Diego County, California. The project owners, the San Diego County Water Authority and the City of San Diego, are assessing the potential to develop the 500 MW San Vicente Energy Storage Facility to increase the availability and efficiency of renewable energy for the region. It will provide enough stored energy to supply approximately 325,000 homes annually.

As the owners’ representative, Black & Veatch will help evaluate proposals, select the full service team and negotiate the project delivery agreement.

The SVESF will store energy by pumping water to an upper reservoir when energy demand is low and releasing water from the upper reservoir through turbines when energy demand is high.

The pumped hydro energy storage solution would support power grid operations and enable significant and sustained integration of renewable wind and solar energy into the power supply mix. It would also generate revenue that could help reduce upward pressure on water rates driven by aging infrastructure....

[WarmPotato]

I live in San Diego and haven't heard of this until now! :O

[IsailedawayfromFR]

This is a neat project; however, this is California, where dams are damned and need to be destroyed.

Should be relatively efficient with losses likely mostly just the frictional effects and the loss due to evaporation in the stored surface water.

[thackney]

This is a neat project; however, this is California, where dams are damned and need to be destroyed.

Should be relatively efficient with losses likely mostly just the frictional effects and the loss due to evaporation in the stored surface water.

A well set up Pumped Storage with modern equipment can be 80% efficient.



In the U.S., the existing 38 pumped hydroelectric facilities can store just over 2 percent of the country’s electrical generating capacity.

http://energystorage.org/energy-storage/technologies/pumped-hydroelectric-storage

[IsailedawayfromFR]

A well set up Pumped Storage with modern equipment can be 80% efficient.



In the U.S., the existing 38 pumped hydroelectric facilities can store just over 2 percent of the country’s electrical generating capacity.

http://energystorage.org/energy-storage/technologies/pumped-hydroelectric-storage

I'll take stored energy this way over some massive Musk battery any day, any time.  And it won't cost half a billion in subsidies either.