Solar Fuel Stores Energy for Decades

Nov-10-18 A new solar thermal liquid could offer a way to store solar energy for long periods of times.

One of the obstacles to bringing alternative energy to the mainstream is the need to store the harvested energy for use.

To that end, the team from the Chalmers University of Technology created the MOST (Molecular Solar Thermal Energy) system. Still in the prototype phase, the system relies on a specialized fluid that is sent through transparent pipes. As the fluid is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet light, the energy from the sunlight causes the bonds between the carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen atoms to rearrange and create a compound known as quadricyclane. That compound can then be heated as needed to release the stored energy for use as household or industrial heating.

Thumbnail: Artist's rendition of the MOST system.

More Info about this Invention:

[EUREKALERT.ORG]
[MOTH-POULSEN.SE]

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