Energy storage in the form of flywheel systems could be the future if Beacon Power Corporation's latest efforts are anything to go by.

A successful six month field trial of one of their flywheel energy storage systems was recently completed by the California Energy Commission (CEC).

Beacon Power are currently developing the Smart Energy Matrix System designed to enhance electricity grids, enabling reliable, clean and fast-responding flywheel energy storage for frequency regulation.

Such a system pulls electrical energy from a source such as a utility grid, and then stores it in a high-density rotating flywheel. The energy would be available the moment it is needed.

As the world's demand for electricity continues to grow at a rapid pace, it's highly important that new and advanced technologies are developed in order to improve the reliability and importance of electric grids everywhere.

Beacon Power's work is certainly an exciting and significant step in the right direction.