Load Balancing With Beacon Power's SmartEnergyMatrix

Beacon Power’s flywheels can absorb and release power in less than four seconds, balancing supply and demand on the power grid faster, cleaner, and cheaper than conventional power plants. Technology Review over at MIT has an in-depth article outlining how skid-mounted flywheel clusters are being tested in a pair of load balancing/frequency control projects. Should the prototypes be proven and then accepted on a nation-wide scale it should make for a substantial energy savings and reduced odds of grid failure, as well as collective pollution reductions. Hard to grasp until you read the entire article. If you're one of the visual-first types, we recommend first having a look at the Beacon flash animation called "Flywheels and Frequency Regulation". Final note: wind power growth increases the need for better frequency regulation; so, you windies ought to allign with the Beacon Mer-go-i-round.

Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:

• The Indoor Garden: Your Cure for the Winter Blues
• The Top 9 Green Viral Videos
• Focus Earth Episode: Nuclear Power--America's Carbon Free Solution?
• Invasive Species: When Small Creatures Do Big Damage
• 10 Reasons to Really Love Trees (as if You Didn't Already)
• Geothermal Energy: Why We—You—Should Be Using More Of It

Activism

Artists

Global Warming

Lighting