this post was submitted on 13 Jun 2023
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Technology
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Yeah, large-scale power plants have an efficiency of maybe 55%. Small scale heat engines are pretty hard to make work better than 30%.
Storage with solid weights is probably competitive with this for electricity. Hopefully someone figures out a low-cost grid battery.
On the other hand, if you're running an electrically-heated concrete furnace, this is great. You heat when electricity is plentiful and coast for the rest of the time.