4 Unconventional Materials Being Tested to Store Renewable Energy

The global transition to renewables will depend on massive investments in battery infrastructure to mitigate intermittency. Lithium-ion batteries currently serve this function across most green energy production facilities. Still, raw material scarcity coupled with supply chain constraints means they cannot scale up to support large-scale projects. Alternative battery designs could alleviate the stress on lithium-ion raw materials like lithium, cobalt, and graphite, and open the door to more affordable and scalable designs.

In Trafford, a metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England, a British startup is testing the feasibility of using ‘liquid air’ to store energy. Highview Power has developed a ‘cryobattery’ that can reportedly capture green energy during peak production and store the energy as liquid air for weeks. The technology works by using surplus green energy to lower air temperatures to -196°C, contracting the air into one seventh of its original volume and converting it to liquid form.

This surplus energy remains stored in the ‘liquid air’ and can be released when energy demand rises, releasing the cooled air from its liquid form to turn turbines and generate energy. The Trafford project has been constructed at an old coal plant and is set to provide 300 MWh of energy storage with enough output to power 500,000 homes.

In the Nevada desert, researchers are doing the exact opposite by using high temperatures to store energy in a process called molten salt storage. The Crescent Dunes scheme uses solar energy to heat sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate to 560℃, maintaining these high temperatures for up to 10 hours after sunset. This stored thermal energy is then used to drive spinning turbines and generate clean energy with no associated emissions.

Tests from Denmark have also shown that molten rock storage can help decarbonize heavy industry, addressing an issue that has long stumped renewable energy proponents. The country has constructed a large-scale molten salt battery facility that can use thermal energy from the sun to heat the salts to nearly 600℃ and store the energy for half a month.

In Japan, Tokyo University of Science researchers are investigating the feasibility of tapping into human sweat as a source of energy for wearables. Their goal is to find a means of powering the sensors critical to wearable devices without the need for batteries that require regular charging and increase weight. The research team has built a thin patch that can be worn directly on the skin to generate electricity from human sweat by converting chemical energy in the sweat into electricity.

Finally, in the Finnish town of Pornainen in southern Finland, scientists are using sand to store energy. Pornainen uses a sand battery consisting of thousands of tons of crushed soapstone with a 100 MWh storage capacity to provide thermal power and heat the town’s libraries, town halls, and schools. The sand battery can provide around a month’s worth of heat during the summer and about a week in winter.

As businesses like GeoSolar Technologies Inc. drive renewable energy uptake in homes, some of these novel energy storage solutions could be widely adopted once they are commercialized because there is an existing and growing market for stationary energy storage systems.

About GreenEnergyStocks

GreenEnergyStocks (“GES”) is a specialized communications platform with a focus on companies working to shape the future of the green economy. GreenEnergyStocks is one of 75+ brands within the Dynamic Brand Portfolio @ IBN that delivers: (1) access to a vast network of wire solutions via InvestorWire to efficiently and effectively reach a myriad of target markets, demographics and diverse industries; (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ outlets; (3) enhanced press release enhancement to ensure maximum impact; (4) social media distribution via IBN to millions of social media followers; and (5) a full array of tailored corporate communications solutions. With broad reach and a seasoned team of contributing journalists and writers, GES is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that want to reach a wide audience of investors, influencers, consumers, journalists, and the general public. By cutting through the overload of information in today’s market, GES brings its clients unparalleled recognition and brand awareness. GES is where breaking news, insightful content and actionable information converge.

To receive SMS alerts from GreenEnergyStocks, text “Green” to 888-902-4192 (U.S. Mobile Phones Only)

For more information, please visit https://www.GreenEnergyStocks.com

Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the GreenEnergyStocks website applicable to all content provided by GES, wherever published or re-published: https://www.greennrgstocks.com/Disclaimer

GreenEnergyStocks
Los Angeles, CA
www.GreenEnergyStocks.com
310.299.1717 Office
Editor@GreenEnergyStocks.com

GreenEnergyStocks is powered by IBN