[foxhop]

I think using it as a safe battery is a neat idea. I understand there are significant losses as compared to li-ion batteries, but the fact that the system has a longer lifespan is really interesting.

It's a way to preserve energy during surplus. As a gardener I'm constantly balancing inputs and outputs. A huge tomato harvest eaten raw off the vine is the most efficient use.

But during a huge glut, I cannot eat the tomatoes fast enough so I start freezing tomatoes and produce sauce.

I trade energy, and human time and labor to extend the shelf life of the tomato.

In this sense, from my naive perspective, A hydride fluid battery if cheap enough to build/install would be a great way to store surplus energy from solar / wind / etc.

[asgeirn]

Love the tomato analogy - exactly why you need to convert energy, even with the efficiency loss.