This company uses hydraulic storage combined with solar panels to provide 24/7 clean energy to rural and isolated areas.

It is based on the principle of ‘Pumped-storage’ Hydropower (PSH). Normally the scale of this is much larger but Stepsol reduced the dimensions of a typical PSH system so that it is applicable to those living in rural areas.

Here is how it works: During the day, solar panels power a village while simultaneously pumping water from a lower tank into a higher tank. These tanks resemble massive pillows which cover an area of 50 metres. When night falls, or when the electrical demand is too high for solar alone, water moves down from the top tank and its movement and weight moves a turbine, producing electricity that compensates for the lack of solar power.

Tanks:

One is placed at an elevated area, meaning when released the water flows down due to gravitational force, powering the village. Combined with solar panels, this creates a closed loop system which can run constantly and is self sustaining.

This requires no connection to a grid, and therefore can be used anywhere. The animation below shows how the system works (click image):

The product's lifespan stands at 25+ years; combine this with its relatively low cost and it presents a realistic, zero emission solution to rural electricity production.

The company's headquarters is in France. Its projects are base in Switzerland and Colombia

Copyright - Stepsol