Keeling Curve

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Project Summary / Description:

This project was formed as a cooperation between Boeing Aerospace in the United States, QuinteQ, who has licensed the Boeing flywheel technology, and several private and public sector partners in the Netherlands. The goal of this project is to demonstrate that flywheels can augment battery storage, grid connection, and decrease diesel generation by absorbing high power peaks and optimize energy efficiency as well as allow the integration of renewable energy generation.

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Best Estimate of GHG Avoidance/Reduction of This Project (Tonnes CO2 Equivalent/Year):

Impact on Underrepresented Groups:

Those who are economically disadvantaged are especially subject to the negative effects from high GHG generated electricity and electrical unreliability. Whether the electricity is poor quality, very unreliable, or not available at all, the burdens imposed disproportionately land on the poor. The first attempt to mitigate poor electrical performance is often to use diesel generator sets. Although these generators are often much more expensive than a centralized or renewable generation would be, they are initially cheaper and easier to implement. This means that the least advantaged can be paying the most per kWh for electricity, and that electricity is being generated by one of the worst GHG generators per kWh. The second impact on the poor is those areas are also generally the ones that will be hit hardest by the consequences of GHG buildup. 

Better aligned, better balanced energy system will help bring more and more affordable electricity worldwide. Energy storage is the holy grail of this energy transition, storage eliminates the need to use diesel generator sets as backup or at night. QuinteQ‚ flywheel is the critical element in an all renewable and storage grid as the fastest most powerful part of a grid, particularly in isolated smaller grids, balancing supply and demand quickly and without degradation. 

Once electricity is available children can go to school and study at night, factories and small businesses can function, and health can improve with the elimination of cook fires, kerosene based lamps, and the availability of refrigeration. With QuinteQ‚ flywheel this electricity can be achieved without increasing the emission of GHG. 

Clean, reliable electricity raises all boats, but unlike most improvements it raises the boats of the disadvantaged more.

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