Use pumped storage systems to store solar genetarted electricity.

[CopCarSS]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Dunkirkeriestation

But if the pumped power is from low cost solar power you coul release it at any time.
They do this at Niagara Falls

I suppose every waterfall is solar powered if you think about it. Rain and snow are delivered thanks to the evaporation of water which conveniently happens via solar power. So when all the rain and snow occur at higher elevations, the result is that the water moves to lower levels. We can build dams to harness hydroelectric power, and VOILA! It all works. [:D]

Chris
Denver, CO

[CShaveRR]

So, yes, let's use solar panels to reverse Niagara Falls!

Keep in mind, too, that an electric railroad would be demanding power at all hours of the day, so your panels would have to be able to stay ahead of a 24-hour demand.

The answer really is hydroelectric power--but that would be too dull!

[Anonymous]

But if the pumped power is from low cost solar power you coul release it at any time.
They do this at Niagara Falls

[kevarc]

You NEVER, EVER pump during the day. That is not done. If you have solar power, you put it into the grid. What you do is pump water back at night. Why you ask? Because power at night is cheaper. So you use cheap power to pump the water and release it during the daylight hours, generally after 11:00AM when the price of electricity is high.

You can see from this table that the off-peak time price is lower than the peak time.
http://www.theice.com/dailyIndices/powerIndex.html

[CShaveRR]

There is a pumped-storage plant just south of Ludington, Michigan (of ferryboat fame), and north of where I go every summer. It doesn't use solar panels for pumping--in fact, it uses electricity to fill the reservoir (which is huge) at night, when there is a bigger supply available, then creates electricity by sending the water back into Lake Michigan during the day, helping the grid weather the peaks.

(Check out the post below mine!)

[CopCarSS]

Ummmmm....I think you'd need a solar panel farm the size of Arkansas or therabouts to do anything useful...and where are we putting the water after its been pumped? There's going to be a lot of that, too.

[dharmon]

Now there's an application for the "Hobo wheel"


Okay....now what we need you to do is reach up where the lttle valve is on the IV and turn it a bit more counter-clockwise........then sit back and relax.

[Mookie]

We are past the headache stage. It is turning into a huge migraine!

[banghead]

[Anonymous]

[8D] Here is a Idea. Have a array of solar panals power a turnine that pumps water to a resoivor during the day and at night let the water out of the lake to power turbines that power generaters that generate electicity that power railroads![8D][8D] This soulves the problem of having huge batterys