Technology Advancements Allow Batteries To Store More Wind Energy (Ireland)

[jpak]

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=51729

The gigantic wind turbines in Donegal on the west coast of Ireland are not only standing on the geographical limits of Europe -- they are also on the cutting edge of a revolutionary technology for storing large amounts of energy from wind power.

Battery storage could be especially useful when wind power feeds into a grid that belongs to a so-called "island" such as in the UK and Ireland, but also in Spain on the Iberian Peninsula— in effect an electrical island with limited interconnections with France in the north and Morocco in North Africa.
The 32-megawatt (MW) wind park in Sorne Hill will be the first in Europe to integrate a big back-up battery system that will ensure a reliable supply of electricity no matter how big the fluctuations in the wind might be.

"The battery enables large amounts of energy from wind or solar power to be stored, managed, controlled and sent into the electricity grid when it is needed. It doesn't matter whether the wind is blowing or not, the battery makes the electricity output predictable and reliable," said Tim Hennessy, CEO of VRB Power Systems, the Canadian manufacturers of the battery.

Analysts say the potential market for technology that can provide reliable storage for large amounts of energy from wind and solar power is huge.

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[The Doctor.]

1. Very huge.

This makes wind/solar more commercially viable by a big leap.