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.

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 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.

Can solar energy be stored as chemical energy?

The solar energy from the solar field can be potentially stored as chemical energy, through the endothermic fuel oxidation reaction in a chemical process. Thermochemical systems commonly require higher temperatures to initiate the energy storage, but conversely provide higher temperatures on the release of that energy.

Can solar energy be stored if the Sun is not shining?

Storage is vital to ensuring we have access to power even when the Sun isn’t shining. A series of research papers offer hope though, as they outline a novel approach to storing the sun’s energy.

Are solid particles a new heat transfer fluid for concentrated solar thermal plants?

Flamant G, Gauthier D, Benoit H, Sans JL, Garcia R, Boissière B, et al. Dense suspension of solid particles as a new heat transfer fluid for concentrated solar thermal plants: on-sun proof of concept. Chem Eng Sci Elsevier. 2013;102:567–76.