http://gigaom.com/cleantech/the-story-of-energy-cache-a-drop-dead-simple-ener...

This has the advantages over pumped water storage facilities of being cheap to build and easily deployable. How efficient it can be is not clear yet:

"The efficiencies in the system still need to be proven out at a large scale, and all areas of friction need to be eliminated where possible. Systems with a lot of moving parts tend to lose efficiency as more parts are added. And it remains to be seen if the efficiency levels can be maintained for a larger 1 MW system."

Anyway, Bill Gates is already investing.

"Energy Cache is already in discussions with grid operators in deregulated markets like ERCOT in Texas, PJM, and California ISO in California. Power producers and utilities will be the end customers for Energy Cache, but the grid operators will be the gate keepers to the early market of selling energy storage."

10 Apr 2012 - 4:42
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