Why can't lightning be put to use as a source of energy?

Question

Theoretically If it can be done, What is the energy discharged, when compared to the electric power plants that are in production?

pl cite sources if somebody has tried it..

Answer 1

Sorry I don't have time at the moment for the long involved answer. However, the bottom line is that there is no practical way to store it in a form that would be usable. Batteries are relatively expensive and take time to absorb a charge whereas lightning is a quick burst of enormous energy. Basically it is kind of like trying to get a drink of water from a fire hose.

Answer 2

I had looked into this once. Energy in a lightning is typically between 1E9 and 1E10 Joules (about 280 to 2800 kWh).

Even the larger of the two numbers corresponds to the production of a nuclear plant during about 10 seconds...

and then, of course, you've got the small problem that we don't know when, or where, lightning strikes (apart from the film "Back to the Future" of course)

hope this helps

a

Answer 3

People try and collect it, but currently we do not have the means to be able to handle it, Lighting is an extermly fast disbursment of energy (High power). Currently peoply use large battery array trying to capture and harness lightening's power

Answer 4

What a great idea. They would have to have sites to harness the energy generated by lightning. I am sure it can be done. Perhaps it already is.

Answer 5

A lot, but it requires extremely heavy duty gadgets to handle such a high discharge of energy.

Answer 6

we don't have the ability to control something as powerful as lighting. our power plants would fry the minute they caught a bolt because it's way to strong even for a power factory to handle.