Storing Energy: with special reference to renewable energy sources

The intermittent nature of many renewable energy sources (such as wind, solar, tides or rainfall) makes it difficult to take full advantage of the potential of these sustainable and renewable forms of energy. The collection of chapters making up this book project shows the many ways and means of solving this problem by storing the energy. Written by international experts, the 26 chapters will present the latest developments in this fast moving field of energy storage. Most of the energy storing processes currently being researched or commercially developed are discussed, giving the reader the opportunity to compare the different processes and to decide which process is best suited for their resources, be it abundant sunshine, wind, tides, rivers, or mountain reservoirs, and whether it is for grid or even off-grid energy storage.

The book will be divided into 5 sections:

1. An Introduction on The Need of Energy Storage

2. Electrical Energy Storage Techniques (including mechanical/thermo-mechanical and gravitational; liquid air; compressed air; pumped hydro with compressed air; and advanced rail energy storage)

   1. Electrical (including batteries of all kinds; and super-capacitors)

   2. Thermal (phase changing materials; solar ponds; and sensible thermal energy storage)

   3. Chemical (hydrogen from water electrolysis; chemical reactions-zeolites/water/inorganic oxides; power to gas; traditional energy storage; large scale hydrogen storage caverns)

3. Emerging Concepts (superconducting magnetic storage)

4. Integration (grid and off-grid energy storage)

5. International Issues (Energy in China and the politics of introducing sustainable energy systems)

This book project came out of discussions linked to a previous book (www.iupac.org/project/2012-041-1-100) Future Energy, Second edition: Improved, Sustainable and Clean Options for our Planet, published in 2014.

For further information, contact the Task Group Chair Trevor Letcher <trevor@letcher.eclipse.co.uk>

www.iupac.org/project/2015-006-1-100