Bill Gross Keynote at DLD Munich 2019 on cheap gravity energy storage

[rb]

It's a beautiful idea in how simple it is.

 

My guess is that the key to the efficiency of the system is that the blocks have to be as heavy as possible in order to minimize the number of cycles and thus friction loss. That means that you would need some really kick ass cranes.

 

I also don't really see what you can patent in all of this. You'd obviously have to use high end cranes made by some of the most serious manufacturers and they're obviously not gonna let you patent their cranes. Maybe they can patent the blocks since they might be unusual due to their weight. But again unless it's something really special I find it hard that you can patent and enforce IP right to a concrete block.

 

Also this is really just a stack of blocks so I'm wondering how would the whole system behave in a high wind/earthquake situation.

[rb]

I don't understand how this new gravity energy storage plan can be so much cheaper than pumping water to the top of the mountain as a gravity storage? It seems far more reliable to use water than these concrete blocks. Imagine what happens in a windy day.

My guess is that because you don't need the land for the reservoirs.

[SharperDingaan]

I don't understand how this new gravity energy storage plan can be so much cheaper than pumping water to the top of the mountain as a gravity storage? It seems far more reliable to use water than these concrete blocks. Imagine what happens in a windy day.

My guess is that because you don't need the land for the reservoirs.

 

You don't need nearby hills/elevations (to pump the water to). You can put it right next to the user (big factory, downtown core, etc).

The 'patent' is the out-of-the-box solution. Sure people can/will copy it, but you will have the first leader network advantage; first on the 'go to' list, and the more copying and popular they become, the more your phone rings :)

 

SD

 

[mcliu]

I don't understand how this new gravity energy storage plan can be so much cheaper than pumping water to the top of the mountain as a gravity storage? It seems far more reliable to use water than these concrete blocks. Imagine what happens in a windy day.

My guess is that because you don't need the land for the reservoirs.

I read somewhere that new hydro developments are discouraged now due to its environmental damage from large area flooding (dam) & carbon release (drowned trees).

[vikx01]

A more recent presentation (first 30 min.)

https://www.barrons.com/live-qa/july-1-barrons-investing-in-tech/9D1BE6AC-1539-4F6A-801F-E71A408E1BB1