Pumped Hydro Electrical Storage
Energy is stored in the form of water, pumped from a lower elevation reservoir to a higher elevation. At times of low electrical demand, excess generation capacity (low-cost off-peak electric power) is used to pump water into the higher reservoir. When there is higher demand, water is released back into the lower reservoir through a turbine, generating electricity.
- Conversion of base load energy into peak load energy (revenue increase)
- Utilization of excess generation capacity resulting from base load production
- Instantaneous coverage of peak load demand
- Optimizations of the operation of thermal plants by reducing the necessity to regulate their power output (increasing the operation time with constant power output)
- Providing for momentarily usable energy reserves (Adding to the operational reliability of the grid)
- Quick take-up of surplus power output at the drop out of big power consumers
- Balancing given meteorological and atmospheric conditions, which can lead especially on producer side, to non consumer conform fluctuations (e.g. calms or storms at wind farms, day and night at solar power station etc.)
- Frequency regulation of the grid
- Tension regulation
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