Thermal Energy Storage in Dirt for Repowering Decommissioned Coal Plants
Thermal energy storage in dirt can have low energy-storage capacity costs, potentially allowing cost-effective repowering of decommissioned steam turbogenerators. Results from a stylized model indicate that thermal storage in dirt could play a substantial role in electricity systems reliant on wind,...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Findings Press
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Findings |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.32866/001c.141340 |
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| author | Alicia Wongel Jacqueline A. Dowling Lei Duan Austin Vernon Ian S. McKay Ken Caldeira |
| author_facet | Alicia Wongel Jacqueline A. Dowling Lei Duan Austin Vernon Ian S. McKay Ken Caldeira |
| author_sort | Alicia Wongel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Thermal energy storage in dirt can have low energy-storage capacity costs, potentially allowing cost-effective repowering of decommissioned steam turbogenerators. Results from a stylized model indicate that thermal storage in dirt could play a substantial role in electricity systems reliant on wind, solar and natural gas, increasingly so with larger shares of wind and solar generation. When first entering a market, rapid discharge of large amounts of energy could present a key revenue opportunity under certain conditions. Over broad ranges of assumed technology costs, electricity generated from decommissioned turbogenerators repowered by thermal energy storage in dirt could cost-effectively help meet demand peaks currently met using fossil generators. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-28bb115355cc443aae24cdb07a3351ca |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2652-8800 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Findings Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Findings |
| spelling | doaj-art-28bb115355cc443aae24cdb07a3351ca2025-08-20T03:09:44ZengFindings PressFindings2652-88002025-07-0110.32866/001c.141340Thermal Energy Storage in Dirt for Repowering Decommissioned Coal PlantsAlicia WongelJacqueline A. DowlingLei DuanAustin VernonIan S. McKayKen CaldeiraThermal energy storage in dirt can have low energy-storage capacity costs, potentially allowing cost-effective repowering of decommissioned steam turbogenerators. Results from a stylized model indicate that thermal storage in dirt could play a substantial role in electricity systems reliant on wind, solar and natural gas, increasingly so with larger shares of wind and solar generation. When first entering a market, rapid discharge of large amounts of energy could present a key revenue opportunity under certain conditions. Over broad ranges of assumed technology costs, electricity generated from decommissioned turbogenerators repowered by thermal energy storage in dirt could cost-effectively help meet demand peaks currently met using fossil generators.https://doi.org/10.32866/001c.141340 |
| spellingShingle | Alicia Wongel Jacqueline A. Dowling Lei Duan Austin Vernon Ian S. McKay Ken Caldeira Thermal Energy Storage in Dirt for Repowering Decommissioned Coal Plants Findings |
| title | Thermal Energy Storage in Dirt for Repowering Decommissioned Coal Plants |
| title_full | Thermal Energy Storage in Dirt for Repowering Decommissioned Coal Plants |
| title_fullStr | Thermal Energy Storage in Dirt for Repowering Decommissioned Coal Plants |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thermal Energy Storage in Dirt for Repowering Decommissioned Coal Plants |
| title_short | Thermal Energy Storage in Dirt for Repowering Decommissioned Coal Plants |
| title_sort | thermal energy storage in dirt for repowering decommissioned coal plants |
| url | https://doi.org/10.32866/001c.141340 |
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