Swedish researchers claim they have developed a way to store solar energy that can be released as heat on demand. Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology have introduced several innovations, including an energy trapping molecule, a new, improved battery system and a coating for textiles and windows that stores energy. The team is led by Kasper Moth-Poulsen, a 40-year-old professor in the department of chemistry and chemical engineering.
How Does it Work?
The system starts with a liquid molecule made up of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen. When exposed to sunlight, the molecule absorbs solar energy and holds it until a catalyst triggers its release as heat. The researchers spent nearly a decade and $2.5 million to create this specialized storage unit that has stability greater than the 5 to 10 years of a lithium-ion battery.
One big unknown is whether the system can produce electricity. While Moth-Poulsen believes the potential exists, his team is focusing on heat storage and release for the time being. His research group is one of around 15 trying to combat climate change with molecular solar thermal systems. Part of the motivation is the Paris Agreement, which obliges its signatories to limit global warming to 1.5 ° centigrade.
When will it be a product?
It’s estimated that the coating for windows and textiles could be available in three years, assuming the necessary capital investment, and the heat storage unit could be commercially available in just six years. There is no exact estimate for the cost to consumers, but affordability should be relatively easy to accomplish since the system does not require rare, expensive elements.
Moth-Poulsen plans to build a company to push the technology forward and is talking to venture capitalists to raise the $5 million is needed to bring the coating to market. In May he won the Arnbergska Prize of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for his solar energy work.