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MetricJester t1_iye0iry wrote

Oooh! I have a reply for the last question: Stirling generators. There has been some research into utilizing the left over heat of solar panels to also mobilize Stirling generators. The thinking there is to create a kinetic energy storage cell that is capable of powering the grid after dark. Most are looking at pumping large volumes of water to do that.

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Millennial_Glacier OP t1_iyedlyz wrote

That is awesome, thanks for introducing something new to learn about. It would be cool, maybe not practical, if someone found a way to use that in tandem with a water based gravity battery. Like send the water up hill into a large shallow basin to collect heat from the sun or be chilled by the environment. Then extract that thermal potential before sending the water to the generators at the bottom of the hill. Wouldn't be useful when the weather is mild, but could help with storage and production during the coldest and hotest times of year.

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