Project Energizer is taking a disruptive approach to an older technology. Traditional pumped-storage hydro (PSH) projects have always been large scale and required significant civil works and land disturbance. Even though the technology is proven and often more affordable per unit than battery technology, overcoming scale for deployment particularly with more distributed generation is problematic. Dr. Thomas Eldredge and Dr. Hector Medina, both professors at Liberty University, have developed a small-scale, modular PSH system that can be deployed with very little land disturbance made from off-the-shelf components. By pairing this system with wind and solar power generation, GO Virginia Region One has the potential of deploying a small-scale, affordable and proven base-load renewable energy solution for local high-tech and industrial applications.
PSH was originally developed to allow power shifting from low-demand times to high-demand times. The concept is simple. During times of low-power demand, excess electricity is used to pump water from a water source located at a lower altitude point to storage in a reservoir at a higher altitude point. When power demand begins to peak, water is released from the reservoir down through a power house and back to the original water source, generating electricity along the way. The action can be repeated daily depending on power demand.
Drs. Eldridge and Medina have developed an idea of creating a self-contained system that can be constructed on the surface to contain the same PSH action without civil disturbance. The system will incorporate off-the-shelf containment bladders that will be used as upper and lower reservoirs. Standard high-density polyethylene piping will be connected above ground to move water up and down the device. A bi-directional pump house will be installed at the base of the system that will not only pump water up but also generate power as the water is released. The system is completely scalable up to 10 megawatts and offers a relatively low cost of approximately $2,400 per kilowatt of installed capacity. The design provides an exciting opportunity to affordably complement this technology with other renewable energy generation in a base-load solution.
Southwest Virginia is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this technology. There is one asset that Region One has that is necessary for effective deployment of these systems: topography relief. In order for the technology to generate power, 700 feet of drop, or head, is required to create the necessary force to generate power. Southwest Virginia has many locations that meet this critical site characteristic. Furthermore, the region has an inventory of previously disturbed properties that have been reclaimed from surface mining and could serve as locations for the PSH system. These sites also offer co-location opportunities for wind and solar. Region One has the necessary assets to be a leader in the deployment of this technology, which would be a significant tool to attract high-tech business prospects seeking affordable renewable power.
The project team, which includes: Liberty University School of Engineering, LENOWISCO Planning District Commission, Virginia Department of Mines, Mineral and Energy (DMME), U.S. Department of Energy, Coalfield Strategies and Dominion Energy, seeks to validate this opportunity for Southwest Virginia by researching two topics: Identifying optimal areas within the region that can serve as locations for deployment of these systems and performing materials testing and analysis. The team will draw on recent DMME-led research that identified areas for renewable deployment by extending that search to include areas with viable relief. That will ensure the ability to co-locate other renewable generation assets. Additionally, because the proposed materials that will be used to build the system were not made specifically for PSH, testing has to be completed prior to deployment in order to ensure that the materials will hold up to operating stress.
Furthermore, this disruptive technology would help define Southwest Virginia as a hotbed for energy innovation for a number of reasons, including its ease of deployment, minimal land disturbance, low cost relative to other competitive battery applications and ability to pair with other renewable energy sources.
This project is funded with support from Coalfield Strategies via Dominion Energy funds ($10,000), DMME via U.S. Department of Energy funds ($37,500), GO Virginia ($50,000), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory ($100,000). The LENOWISCO Planning District Commission serves as the fiscal agent.
In August 2020, OnPoint Development Strategies was awarded the contract to perform location vetting and will partner with DMME. The teams kicked off their respective tasks in September 2020 and will complete their work by June 2021.