I am aware of that project but had no idea it died.

A little research says it didnt die "because Alberta". It died because it became too expensive to fix and became unreliable, and the houses were converted to natural gas heating. Go figure. From cool to reliable - I rest my case. Albertans at -40c care about reliability.

Wiki: "In 2020, the system started showing signs of deterioration resulting in significant maintenance issues. System components, knowledge, and technical expertise for repairs were becoming increasingly challenging to find. In response to system failures, the Drake Landing Solar Company added redundancies to the system to be sure that homes in the community were receiving heat.

After a thorough investigation on available next steps, it was determined that the significant reinvestment required to have the system operate reliably, was simply something that neither the Drake Landing Solar Company board nor the collective community could afford.

In 2024, a decommissioning process for the Drake Landing Solar Community began, where the majority of the 52 homes were converted to natural gas-fired furnaces."

Even without pumping, hydroelectricity is great to complement intermittent storage. A dam is storing a lot of potential energy that can be released or not at the right time.

There is a big dam close to where I live. In winter the level goes down progressively and as soon as spring comes back, the solar panels are producing again and the electrical demands goes down so the lake level goes back up progressively.

In summer the lake is full so all the tourists can enjoy the activities on the water.

Canada had the Drake Landing project.

This was a 52 home community in which solar heat was stored underground for recovery in winter. It was originally a 4 year project that extended to 17 years in Alberta. Very low tech. the energy was stored in salt and sand pits underground.

But it ended, because Alberta.

Micro hydro this is feasible. Many tall buildings already have water tanks near the top.

I think the fire hazard is the main reason.

Geothermal is cool. And impressive. But I have yet to see anyone who could afford on a single home.

For larger installations, we had a geothermal plant just a few miles from our place in the US. Was great til it started leaking sour gas. Eventually the company had to buy out the homes of the people who were closer to the plant because of the health concerns.

Every power source has issues.

It is if you want to go off carbon based power. Where do you get power when the sun is down? Especially in winter with short days?