http://nhpr.org en http://nhpr.org/post/who-needs-batteries-seacoast-firm-stores-energy-air <p>Solar and wind power are intermittent, and if enough of them are powering the grid, some kind of storage will be necessary. And storage means batteries, right?</p><p>Not necessarily. In Seabrook New Hampshire, a start-up is doing it with compressed air.</p><p></p><p>It’s pretty easy to see how energy stored as compressed air works: When you let go of a full balloon, it flies all around the room because of the energy stored inside. So if you use electricity to run an air compressor, you basically just need to find a way to run that compressor backwards to get electricity again.</p> Fri, 01 Mar 2013 15:52:21 +0000 Sam Evans-Brown 22896 at http://nhpr.org Who Needs Batteries? Seacoast Firm Stores Energy With Air http://nhpr.org/post/blackout-battle <p>America’s blackout boom—our national electric grid is badly in need of an upgrade, as power outages are seemingly becoming the norm, especially with the onset of extreme heat and increasingly inclement weather.</p> Thu, 26 Jul 2012 14:04:51 +0000 Virginia Prescott 9540 at http://nhpr.org The Blackout Battle