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Flywheels, a technology that dates back to the Neolithic era, are getting a fresh look. Popularized in steam engines during the Industrial Revolution, their energy storage potential was quickly overshadowed by less expensive batteries. But now as grid storage becomes more of a necessity with solar and wind gaining momentum, flywheels are being revisited and revamped.
The most recent example: Beacon Power has broken ground on a plant that will build next generation flywheels targeted at grid-scale storage. Made out of lightweight carbon fiber, Beacon’s flywheels will be up to 85 percent efficient — meaning that 100 watts stored by the machine will eventually pump out 85 watts for a particular application — a pretty high percentage.
The company’s models integrate large rotating wheels with motors or generators (which draw energy straight from the grid) to get them turning faster and faster — this momentum can then be converted into working electricity. In this way, flywheels can provide energy on demand, making it available during power outages or when power demand exceeds supply (an increasingly common problem).
Beacon will kick off operations by building 200 flywheels at 2,000 pounds each, capable of turning at a rate of 8,000 to 16,000 revolutions per minute.
Flywheels have several distinct advantages over batteries when it comes to grid-scale storage. First, they can be made out of almost anything. Batteries, on the other hand, are made out of generally toxic or rare materials (think lithium), hazardous to both assemble and dispose of. A flywheel can also be rebuilt with new bearings and re-balanced to be put back to work quickly. A battery needs to be continually recharged and recycled at a high cost. Lastly, batteries don’t charge or discharge rapidly. Flywheels can accomplish this without degrading substantially over time.
Another company, Pentadyne Energy, is making flywheels for data centers. This is a good fit as the technology guarantees a steady supply of power and uninterrupted service. Emerson Network Power has already ordered 3 megawatts of capacity from Pentadyne for its Irvine, Calif. site.
Beacon, which trades on the Nasdaq under the symbol BCON, raised $24 million in grants from the U.S. government in November 2009.
