How It Works
The basic principle of the system is based on the well-established technology behind pumped hydro energy storage plants. The major difference is the arrangement and location of reservoirs at such plants. While conventional pump hydro-power storage plants consist of an upper and a lower reservoir, OLPHES uses a smaller reservoir (buoyant platform), floating within a larger reservoir (see image below). Water can be moved from one reservoir to the other by means of floating pumps and turbines. OLPHES IP rights are granted to Energy Storage Rights by the University of Innsbruck and by IP Australia for
* Energy storage with floating solar generation,
floating energy with hydrogen generation and carbon dioxide removal,
* A pumped hydro energy storage, scalable in a closed-loop charged with floating solar and agrivoltaic generation and
* Automated cleaning systems for solar farm patents
* Floating energy storage and hydrogen generation integrated with desalination and carbon dioxide removal by converting a ship into a solar plant with an expandable irradiation surface, energy storage, and inflatable sails.
Potential
Turning lakes on to #FairDinkumPower
On natural and artificial lakes, coal power plant cooling ponds, wastewater treatment ponds or on farm water reservoirs OLPHES paired with floating solar will convert them into a renewable energy asset with storage. The technology reduces the evaporation losses while increasing the water quality by aeration.
Balance the Energy Supply
OLPHES has the potential to dynamically transfer renewable electricity from times and areas of excess supply to times and areas of peaking demand. Electricity generated during off-peak times can be retained and then sold to meet peak demands. This can help address fluctuations in supply from renewable sources, which can occur within seconds, minutes, hours or days. The fast-responding Buoyant Energy storage technology is fully dispatchable, burns no fuel, is efficient and has a minimal carbon footprint.
From Pit Lakes to Renewable Energy
OLPHES is able to convert an open pit mine lake, from a costly liability, into a renewable energy storage asset, It applies also to pumped hydro dams that will have a scalable storage solution without the need to build tunnels or a second reservoir. Genex Power is already planning to use 2 pit lakes for energy storage.
100% renewable Islands
On natural and artificial islands and in remote rural areas with no link to the energy grid, supply with renewable energies is a commercially viable alternative to conventional diesel generators. Stable energy supply, based on renewable energy sources, has become available by applying decentralized floating hydraulic storage systems, which are built to balance supply with demand. Seasteading Institute promotes floating cities technologies and with a mixture of wind and solar energy, supplemented by the Buoyant Energy storage system, island systems will be able to generate their own energy in a CO 2 – free manner
Solar panels installed on floating breakwaters will provide renewable energy and protection against coastal erosion.
Directors and Members of Advisory Board
Member of Advisory Board, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology Associate Professor and Composites expert
