It is not only how much, but when we use electricity that is important.  Storage is an integral part of every manmade system we have.  We have food in our pantries, fuel in our car gas tanks, and water in our water towers to meet our needs on demand.  Man’s greatest machine is our mass network of electricity and grid, but it does not have storage built in. 

The supply and demand of electricity must perfectly balance every minute of every day.  Standby electric capacity must exist to instantly ramp up to the highest possible peak demand at a moments notice, with reserve capacity of ten to fifteen percent in case demand is under estimated or mechanical breakdown occurs.  If we fail to meet even a moment of this growing demand, we have blackouts or brownouts that paralyze our business economy and threaten the health of our families. 

Power plants and transmission grid are expensive, polluting, and few want them in their backyard.  New generation and transmission capacity is needed with ever growing demand.  Renewable energy holds promise, but cannot realistically replace coal and natural gas for source generating fuel in the next few decades.  Coal is America’s most abundant and cost effective natural resource for source energy, but is polluting and the price of coal generation is increasing. 

 Thermal Energy Storage (TES) is a large part of the solution.  Thermal energy storage lowers spikes in peak demand by storing surplus energy capacity in off peak periods, and utilizing this stored energy during periods of high peak demand.  TES greatly reduces the need for new electric capacity, helps existing generation run more efficient, reduces pollution, and saves energy costs.  TES also stores wind and solar energy, to help renewable energy reach its full potential.” 

The old fashioned tank water heaters are one of the common forms of thermal storage.  If we all go to instantaneous water heaters we will need to build (11) power plants to handle the peak energy.  Do more by keeping the tank, insulate it and add a timer to turn it off during peak hours.