Pumped Hydro Electric Storage Plant (PHES)
Perhaps our most ambitions project to date, we are aiming to build a pumped hydro electric storage plant on our land. The proposed design will generate 50 MW of renewable electricity, enough for 9,000 homes - and the technology has the potential to play a huge role in providing clean sustainable energy for entire countries.
The design is simple - we will construct two lakes, one on the top of the mountain on our land, and one lower down. At night, when electricity is cheaper, we will power the pumps to empty the lower reservoir and fill the top one. During the day, when there is a greater need for electricity, the stored water can be released into the lower reservoir, driving a turbine on the way that creates power. You can see how it will work here (opens in a separate window).
Preserving local ecosystems and wildlife
The two lakes are effectively a 'closed loop' so that water only travels between the lakes. This means that once the lakes are filled for the first time, there is little need to bother natural resources again, replacing only the tiny amount of water lost through evaporation - which means local ecosystems and wildlife can be left well alone, just the way we like it.
The turbines will be reversible, so they can also act as the pump to help the water reach the higher reservoir overnight. This method is currently the most cost-effective way of storing large amounts of energy on an operating basis, but the initial costs to install such a facility are very high.
Pumped storage systems
Pumped storage systems can help to control the electrical network frequency because they are able to respond to a sudden change in electrical demand. In addition, it is the largest capacity form of grid energy storage currently available, and has the potential to balance the unpredictable output that other renewable energy sources, such as wind farms, wave power generation and photovoltaic electricity can suffer from.
Greatly reduced ecological impact
Overall, the system means that the energy that wind farms generate overnight that would otherwise be wasted can be stored as potential energy by the water it has pumped uphill. The system has the potential to supply the storage for all of Ireland (and indeed every country in the world) with around one FIFTIETH of the ecological impact of the dams, coal mines or other non-renewable sources that it would help to displace.
With such a positive potential return, can we afford not to pursue ways of storing electricity generated at night by renewable sources?