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Ward Williams

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Are there any new energy storage methods on the horizon?

Electricity seems like the energy source that will be with us probably forever. There many ways to generate it, albeit not inexpensively is some cases. Storing it for "on demand use" seems to me to be the real challenge. Even if we can generate vast amounts of electricity using wind and solar, etc. those sources are unreliable. If we could hold on to what we generate it would go a long way toward a solution. This is not a revelation to anyone, but I'm curious about new ideas for storage of electricity.

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    Feb 24 2013: .
    smart energy grid
    Nanocarbon things can improve battery time dramatically i've heard. But its not yet in production.
    maby we can also create living organisms to retain energy.
    Like trees where you can just put your plug in and charge your ... whatever.
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      Ward Williams

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      Feb 24 2013: The whole plant thing really intrigues me. Really all living things store energy for later use, and do not require a constant input of fuel to live, that is, if you shut off the fuel they don't die instantaneously. Big solutions there, I think.

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        Feb 24 2013: There are allready batteries invented which uses organic material.
        http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20090216/165690/
        How brilliant would it be if you could just raise a genetical modified tree which produces your daily power supply in your back garden.

        Normally in the first few years a tree puts its energy in growth, after a tree his energy is put into creating offspring. If you modified that part into putting his fotosynthesis energy in power creation, then it could work.
        After that you have to find out a way how a tree can storages is energy, or directly sending it to the main power line.

        Well i guess i'm just day dreaming.
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          Ward Williams

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          Feb 24 2013: I don't think it's daydreaming. PV panels are converting sunlight into usable energy, Plants are already doing this. It's the usable (for us) part that is tough, but it can be done. I told my daughter (she's the smart one) that her mission is to figure out how to tap photosynthesis and make it work for us. She's going to be an accountant. Oh well. Thanks for the link. I love this stuff.

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        Feb 26 2013: The latest news shows that plants are electrically charged, that's how the bees know the flowers have nectar.

        http://www.sciencemag.org/content/early/2013/02/20/science.1230883

        So this news means that plants can charge themselves, so we should modify them for 120V and we are ready to go! (it would be funny if an insect would approach the flower.. bzzzz....)

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