Ultimately math will rule the success of any new technology. In these 3 articles I have assembled about Energy storage, the key to success in intermittent sources like wind and solar, it becomes pretty apparent that we have the equivalent of an Everest to climb to gain the science necessary to make either of these energy sources profitable enough to justify the money required to set them up. 

The first article “The Catch 22 of Energy Storage” makes it pretty clear with solid analysis that the  EROEI – the ratio of the energy produced over the life of a power plant to the energy that was required to build it has to be over 1. As the chart below shows even that is hardly a good deal compared to others: 

The second article “Why The Debate Over Energy Storage Utterly Misses The Point” goes more into the dilemma of energy storage technology. Indeed why the debate over which energy storage technology will prove to be the best in the long-term is woefully misguided since at the current stage of development, to produce the amounts of power and energy required at a cost-effective price cannot be done without government subsidies. 

The last article is a real life attempt to make an Electric car work as well as a fossil fuel driven car. It might just be me, but reading this voyage from San Diego to Whistler BC in a $140,000 Tesla sounded like low grade torture. Not only are you searching for someplace to get the vehicle charged, but the battery that runs the $140,000 car is not only losing charge, but its efficiency to hold a charge is declining as each mile goes buy. Read the artile HERE 

Artiles assembled by Rob Zurrer – Money Talks Editor