The simplest energy storage solution is your hot water heater. Turning on everyone's hot water heater when there is surplus electricity, and turning them off when there's a deficit, is a very low cost solution.
The next level is using residential HVAC systems the same way. Comfortable temperatures are a range, so heating/cooling can push the temps to one end of the range, and when there is less electricity available, they can drift to the other end.
The charger for your electric car is another very practical sink for cheap electricity.
This is accomplished by having a spot price for electricity, and then people buying thermostats that query the spot price and turn HVAC, hot water heater, car battery chargers, etc., on and off.
This can be extended EVEN FURTHER by heating/cooling a pile of rocks to later use to heat/cool the house.
A battery consisting of a pile of rocks can't be expensive.
The idea is to not only adjust supply to the demand, but to shape the demand to the supply.
I am utterly astonished that this is never, ever discussed when talking about solutions to fluctuating supply. Having fixed electricity rates 24/7 is simply madness in today's electricity generation situation.
The next level is using residential HVAC systems the same way. Comfortable temperatures are a range, so heating/cooling can push the temps to one end of the range, and when there is less electricity available, they can drift to the other end.
The charger for your electric car is another very practical sink for cheap electricity.
This is accomplished by having a spot price for electricity, and then people buying thermostats that query the spot price and turn HVAC, hot water heater, car battery chargers, etc., on and off.
This can be extended EVEN FURTHER by heating/cooling a pile of rocks to later use to heat/cool the house.
A battery consisting of a pile of rocks can't be expensive.
The idea is to not only adjust supply to the demand, but to shape the demand to the supply.
I am utterly astonished that this is never, ever discussed when talking about solutions to fluctuating supply. Having fixed electricity rates 24/7 is simply madness in today's electricity generation situation.