Pumped Storage Ponds

Many utilities are turning to innovative methods to utilize their off-peak generating capacity. One alternative is to use pumped storage ponds. During overnight periods when demand is lowest, water is pumped into storage ponds at a higher elevation. During the day when demand peaks, the stored water is released into a lower elevation pond through a hydroelectric turbine to generate extra energy. These storage ponds are usually constructed through dammed waterways or natural reservoirs, but these approaches are limited to geography and increasingly coming under scrutiny due to their impact on the environment. But installation of man-made reservoirs lined with GSE geomembranes allow this approach to be used much more widely and with reduced environmental impact. Double-lined ponds with or have outstanding protection, and adding a layer in the middle provides a leak detection system.