Renewable Energy Discovery Island: Hydro Heights (Text Version)

This is the text version of the video Renewable Energy Discovery Island: Hydro Heights.

Text on screen:

REDI: Renewable Energy Discovery Island logo

Hydro Heights

This closed loop pumped storage system provides utility-scale energy storage and generates electricity during periods of peak demand when energy prices are high.

Water stored in a high elevation reservoir is connected to a lower elevation reservoir by a series of straight pipes.

[Five labels appear on diagram on screen:]

  • Recreational Path
  • Upper Reservoir
  • Turbine Feed Pipes
  • Turbine Station
  • Lower Reservoir

[Zoom to turbine station, where five more labels appear:]

  • Step-up Transformer
  • Frequency Converter
  • Control Valve
  • Generator / Motor
  • Turbine / Pump

When power demand rises above the grid’s supply capacity, the control valves are activated, allowing water to flow down the pipes and through a series of turbines.

As water in the upper reservoir is released, it flows through the turbines, creating rotational motion that is converted into electricity by a group of generators.

Electricity produced by the generators is transmitted through a transformer and then onto the main grid where it can meet temporary excess power requirements.

Once power demand returns to normal levels, the control valves are shut. This stops water flow to the turbines and electricity production by the generators.

During periods of reduced power demand when energy prices are low, excess electricity created by other renewable energy sources is used to refill the upper reservoir.

In this situation, the generators supply reverse rotational motion to the turbines, allowing water from the lower reservoir to be pumped back uphill to the upper reservoir.

Pumped storage hydropower is the most common type of grid-level energy storage system based on megawatts installed today.

Funded by U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Water Power Technologies Office and NREL.

Learn more at: openei.org/wiki/PRIMRE/REDi_Island

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