Gravity Energy Storage

In Tehachapi (California) there is a strange railway: when the wind blows, the trailer enters the mountain, and when it subsides, it rolls down.


The ARES technology serves to accumulate energy from sources of periodic action - solar and wind power plants.

When energy production is high (the wind is blowing, the sun is shining), cars using electric motors drive uphill and accumulate potential energy. If energy production falls, and consumption grows (evening - the wind has died down, the sun has disappeared), the cars roll off, while the engines run in generator mode and give electricity to the network.


Usually, water is used for this purpose (see PSPP ), but under California conditions, this is not very convenient due to water deficiency.

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They write that the efficiency of the system is 86%. And add that the system
- lower life cycle cost than batteries;
- faster response than PSP; Yes, and water is not required, which is important for dry areas.

The described pilot hill was built next to a wind park.
Experimental trolley (5670 kg, 381 mm track):






The company plans to build a system in Nevada with a system of stored energy of 12.5 megawatt-hours.


It is planned that this will be a single-track road with a length of 8 km with a slope of 6.6%. It will require 17 couplings, each of which includes 2 locomotives weighing 220 tons each and 2 cars with concrete blocks weighing 150 tons each.