Liquid storage of solar energy

Can solar energy be stored in liquid form?

A group of researchers have developed a way to store solar energy in a liquid form that will be capable of creating electricity on-demand, as well as store the energy for a whopping 18 years. Reported first by BGR, the technology has actually been in development for several years now.

Can solar energy be stored for 18 years?

A series of research papers offer hope though, as they outline a novel approach to storing the sun’s energy. In 2018, scientists in Sweden developed “solar thermal fuel,” a specialized fluid that can reportedly store energy captured from the sun for up to 18 years.

How does Liquid solar energy storage work?

When the solution comes in contact with the sunlight, the atoms inside it rearrange and change the shape, turning the molecule to turn into an energy-rich isomer. Fusing the liquid solar energy storage solution with a thermoelectric generator -- an ultra-thin chip -- researchers could re-harness the power.

How is solar energy stored?

The liquid chemical makes it possible to store and transport the stored solar energy and release it on demand, with full recovery of the storage medium. The process is based on the organic compound norbornadiene that upon exposure to light converts into quadricyclane.

Can a solar thermal fuel store energy from the Sun?

The solar industry has been snagged on this branch for a while, but in the past year alone, a series of four papers has ushered in an intriguing new solution. Scientists in Sweden have developed a specialised fluid, called a solar thermal fuel, that can store energy from the sun for well over a decade.

How does a solar thermal energy storage system work?

The fluid has been in development for more than a year by scientists from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. The solar thermal collector named MOST (Molecular Solar Thermal Energy Storage System) works in a circular manner. A pump cycles the solar thermal fuel through transparent tubes.