Hi all, I had a Hornby OO as a kid, and went to school on the Hayling Billy, but that's not why I am here. I am very interested in renewable energy (RE), and that needs storage, both to produce electricity at times when the RE is not producing, and also to store energy at times when RE is producing in excess to demand (e.g. on windy nights). There are a couple of big pumped hydro storage installations at Dinorwig and Festinog.
Another way to store energy is by using electric engines and trains on an inclined slope. Here is a site where they are trying to develop this in California
http://www.aresnorthamerica.com/
Basically it requires an electric engine, pulling a variable length train filled with rocks. When the Grid is in oversupply, the engine goes up the slope, storing the excess electricity as potential energy. When the Grid needs more power, the train rolls down slope, generating electricity.
So I am hoping that someone here is aware of an unused length of rail (say 1-5 miles?) where we could deploy this technology.
30th May 2015, 12:54
