Advanced Rail Energy Storage

Advanced Rail Energy Storage (ARES) is a grid-scale energy storage technology that uses the principles of gravity and potential energy to store and release electrical energy. ARES consists of a system of electric trains that transport weighted railcars up a slope during periods of low electricity demand, and then release the railcars back down the slope to generate electricity during periods of high demand.

During the charging phase, electric trains pull weighted railcars up a slope, using excess electricity from the grid to generate potential energy. The railcars are then held at the top of the slope until the stored energy is needed. During the discharging phase, the railcars are released back down the slope, generating electricity as they descend, which can be fed back into the grid.