Comments on: Flywheels: A Tech That’s Just Spinning Its Wheels?

By: DOE Backs Energy Storage: Beacon Power Scores $43M Loan Guarantee

DOE Backs Energy Storage: Beacon Power Scores $43M Loan Guarantee — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:13:52 +0000

[...] A series of setbacks for flywheel energy storage last year made us wonder if the technology was just spinning its wheels. But this morning things are looking up for the tech’s long road to commercialization, with [...]

By: FAQ: Energy Storage for the Smart Grid

FAQ: Energy Storage for the Smart Grid — Wed, 13 May 2009 07:01:40 +0000

[...] technology development, difficulty finding the right market and competition with batteries (for example flywheel maker Beacon Power recently said it is delaying the expansion of a small commercial project that it had been planning to build [...]

By: Flywheel Energy Storage Hits the High Seas « Earth2Tech

Flywheel Energy Storage Hits the High Seas « Earth2Tech — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:48:49 +0000

[...] November, the company reined in plans on its first commercial project, blaming market volatility, and lowered its capacity target to 3 [...]

By: Sun Focusing on Energy-Efficient Data Centers for Cuts In Cost, Carbon « Earth2Tech

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 05:00:52 +0000

[...] added other energy-efficient and sustainable features. The company started using flywheels — basically spinning discs that store kinetic energy — as an immediate backup power supply, which switches on when there is a sudden power outage. [...]

By: A123 Systems Gets on the Grid « Earth2Tech

A123 Systems Gets on the Grid « Earth2Tech — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:12:34 +0000

[...] high temperature superconductor wires from American Superconductor. Last week, Beacon said it would delay the expansion of a commercial project, citing the volatile economic [...]

By: Friedbert Schaefer

Friedbert Schaefer — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 01:08:56 +0000

Today’s flywheels are to small. We need flywheels that can store MWh. I have invented the appropriate magnetic bearings, that could levitate hundreds of tons passively without expensive regulation.

By: Sabin

Sabin — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 06:00:47 +0000

Todays Flywheels are like the earliest flying machines, plenty of room for improvement.
Batteries and Capacitors have been around and undergoing constant improvment for hundreds of years.

By: Paul

Paul — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 03:37:55 +0000

If a 10-20kw/hr compact flywheel is cost competitive with storage batteries on a kw/hr basis then there's a ready potential market in small residential systems for storing off peak power for use during peak hours... and/or storing PV and wind renewables generated during the day for use in the evening.

Just my $0.10 worth

By: J.M. Saltzman

J.M. Saltzman — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 00:53:57 +0000

I always thought massive (think: city block-sized) flywheels deep underground would be the ultimate in energy storage, as long as they’re engineered right. Maglev bearing ftw…? But then you might as well just go geothermal and be done with it.