Innovation and ingenuity are sometimes described as the only truly inexhaustible and readily available resources available to humankind. This is fortunate because as a civilization, humans are going to need to use every bit of ingenuity and innovation available to them to manage the other, finite resources before doing irreparable damage to the planet. As the race for renewable energy solutions rages on, kinetic energy storage is positioning itself to be the most effective and sustainable solution for the renewable energy future the world needs.
Amber Kinetics, Flywheels and the Path to Sustainability
As the world transitions over from the fossil fuel regime of the past to the renewable energy of the future, the need for energy storage becomes painfully clear. To sustain a grid that is powered by sources like wind, geo-thermal and solar, robust and efficient energy storage solutions need to be integrated to ensure the consistent flow of power, regardless of the time of day or the weather.
People often think of batteries when they imagine energy storage systems. While these systems work, the sustainability of chemical batteries that degrade over time and need to be replaced is quickly called into question. To solve this challenge, Amber Kinetics, the world’s leading producer of kinetic energy storage solutions, is blazing the trail into the future with technology that has its roots in our not so distant past.
How Does Kinetic Energy Storage Work?
Amber Kinetics uses flywheels and their kinetic energy storage potential to offer the renewable grid solution that the world needs. Through the use of magnetic bearings and vacuum chambers, flywheels are spun at extremely high velocities with almost no resistance. This allows the energy to be drawn back out by slowing down the flywheel and turning that energy back into electricity. It is the mechanical equivalent of a chemical battery, only better.
The flywheel is the perfect solution to the energy storage needs of the future for many reasons.
They are extremely efficient and return more than 85% of their energy. In comparison, according to GE, many coal power plants operate at a 33% efficiency.
Flywheels are 100% recyclable.
No chemicals are used in the kinetic energy storage process.
There is very little maintenance involved due to the use of magnetic bearings and vacuum chambers.
Kinetic energy storage is fully scalable, no matter the size of the grid it is sustaining.
A flywheel’s energy storage capacity does not degrade, making its cycle threshold infinitely better than chemical batteries.
Perhaps the most impressive of all, when Amber Kinetics flywheels store and deliver energy to the grid, they are instantaneously matching energy generation and load needs, making it unique among all other types of energy storage solutions.
Flywheels are the most sustainable of any of the currently available and foreseeably available energy storage solutions. They are 100% recyclable, they have no chemical materials and no hazardous waste disposal, so from a purely sustainable point of view, if companies and governments are looking to a renewable future, then flywheels need to be a part of that future.
Amber Kinetics Is Charging Ahead into the Future
The solutions needed for the challenges of transitioning to a renewable energy future are already here. Sustainable, efficient and cost-effective, kinetic energy storage will play a pivotal, if not crucial role in completing that transition. Amber Kinetics charging ahead, making it easy for the world to understand and adopt this revolutionary technology.