the future of renewable generation is secure

I just discovered the technology of flow batteries in this New Scientist article. Wikipedia has more.

This is simply beautiful. For all those renewable critics out there who maintain that the intermittent nature of wind, wave and solar power cripples the technology before it is installed- here's the solution. I had previously maintained that long range DC current lines and hydroelectric storage systems could circumvent this severe limitation of renewables but this is sooooo much better. I am fucking chuffed to bits!

The technology is too bulky at present to be considered for powering vehicles and its main potential can be realised through storing the excess capacity of renewable systems when they are at peak production but demand is low. However, a neat aspect of the technology is its use of a fluid medium to store energy as redox potential. A new, more dense electrolyte could allow electric car drivers to charge their vehicles by draining their exhausted electrolyte tanks and refilling with charged fluid.

Fucking radical dude!