Kinetic pumped storage systems

• A similar system to hydroelectric power generation is used in pumped storage systems
• Kinetic pumped storage systems are a good way of dealing with sudden high demand for electricity. The classic example of this is a commercial break in the middle of a popular TV show when everyone goes to the kitchen to put the kettle on for a hot drink
• At moments of high demand the electrical power supply might not be able to cope with demand, so an additional fast-acting top-up is needed
• Nuclear and coal powered stations are slow to respond so something else is needed. Gas-fired stations are often working at full capacity in winter months
• The pumped storage system instantly releases electricity into the system by opening valves to allow water to flow from the high resevoir to the lower one through turbines. This cannot be sustained for long, but it's usually long enough for the other power stations to catch up with demand and avoid the need for power cuts
• During the night, demand is usually low, but the nuclear and coal-fired stations cannot reduce theur output significantly, so the excess electricity is available at low cost. This cheap excess electricity is used to pump the water back up to the top reservoir, ready for sudden peaks in demand the next day