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Model S Owner and Frustrated Tesla Fan
Flow batteries are definitely competitive for utility scale, but they are higher-maintenance. Moving parts. The vanadium ones are likely doomed (vanadium is too expensive; it's common but there's not much of a supply chain). But the zinc-iron ones will do OK.
They are not as suited as li-ion to instant-response or high-density-required applications, and the pumps basically make them undesirable for all small-scale applications. This means they're strictly in the utility space. And within that, they'll probably be focused on the multi-hour power shifting market, not the fast-reaction market.
Flow batteries might replace the role which we have often thought pumped-storage hydro would fill.
They are not as suited as li-ion to instant-response or high-density-required applications, and the pumps basically make them undesirable for all small-scale applications. This means they're strictly in the utility space. And within that, they'll probably be focused on the multi-hour power shifting market, not the fast-reaction market.
Flow batteries might replace the role which we have often thought pumped-storage hydro would fill.