This week's cartoon describes compressed air, a potentially effective way to store excess energy from renewable sources and provide power on demand. Currently, renewable sources of energy, like wind and solar, can produce a lot of power, but only when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing. Using the energy when we have it to pressurize air, we can release the air gradually against a piston or a turbine to provide power on demand. As Jer once told Alex, you can think of compressed air like an "air battery." The idea of using air energy storage to heat or cool has been inspiring inventors for years. Some have even been working to find a way to propel a car using only air. More work still needs to be done, but it's an exciting set of ideas.
Posted to WorldChanging by Andy Lubershane
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