Solar energy is as abundant as renewable and has a thorn in the side. There is still no economic and efficient long-term storage for the energy produced.
The solar industry has been sticking to this industry for some time, but it was not until last year that a new intriguing solution was presented in a series of four papers.
Swedish scientists have developed a special liquid called solar thermal, which is able to store solar energy for more than ten years.
"A solar thermal fuel is like a battery, but instead of electricity, the sunlight is turned on and heated and activated as needed," NBC News told engineer Jeffrey Grossman these materials at MIT.
The liquid is actually a liquid-form molecule that scientists at the Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have been trying to improve for over a year.
This molecule is made up of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen, and when affected by sunlight has an unusual effect: the bonds between its atoms are rearranged and a new live version of it is called the isomer.
Like dams trapped in a trap, solar energy is trapped between the strong chemical bonds of the isomer and stays there even as the molecule cools to room temperature.
When energy is needed, for example, at night or in winter, the liquid is simply extracted by a catalyst that returns the molecule to its original form and releases energy in the form of heat.
The solar industry has been sticking to this industry for some time, but it was not until last year that a new intriguing solution was presented in a series of four papers.
Swedish scientists have developed a special liquid called solar thermal, which is able to store solar energy for more than ten years.
"A solar thermal fuel is like a battery, but instead of electricity, the sunlight is turned on and heated and activated as needed," NBC News told engineer Jeffrey Grossman these materials at MIT.
The liquid is actually a liquid-form molecule that scientists at the Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have been trying to improve for over a year.
This molecule is made up of carbon, hydrogen, and nitrogen, and when affected by sunlight has an unusual effect: the bonds between its atoms are rearranged and a new live version of it is called the isomer.
Like dams trapped in a trap, solar energy is trapped between the strong chemical bonds of the isomer and stays there even as the molecule cools to room temperature.
When energy is needed, for example, at night or in winter, the liquid is simply extracted by a catalyst that returns the molecule to its original form and releases energy in the form of heat.
"The energy contained in this isomer can now be stored for up to 18 years," says one of the team's scientists, nanoscience scientist Kasper Moth-Poulsen of Chalmers University.
"And when we extract and use the energy, the heat increases more than expected."
A prototype energy system, located on the roof of a university building, tested the new fluid and, according to the researchers, the results attracted the attention of many investors.
"And when we extract and use the energy, the heat increases more than expected."
A prototype energy system, located on the roof of a university building, tested the new fluid and, according to the researchers, the results attracted the attention of many investors.
The device for renewable and emission-free energies consists of a concave reflector with a tube in the middle, which follows the sun as a kind of parable.
The system works in a circle. By pumping through transparent tubes, the liquid is heated by sunlight, which converts the norbornadiene molecule into its square thermal scavenging isomer. The liquid is stored at room temperature with minimal energy loss.
When energy is needed, the fluid is filtered through a special catalyst that returns the molecules to their original shape and heats the fluid to 63 degrees Celsius.
The hope is that this heat can be used for home heating to power the water heater, dishwasher, dryer, and more than just a building before returning to the roof.
The researchers subjected the fluid to this cycle more than 125 times, absorbing heat and leaving it behind without significant damage to the molecule.
"We've made a lot of breakthroughs recently and now have an emission-free energy system that works all year round," Moth-Poulsen said.
After a series of rapid developments, researchers say their liquid can now consume 250 watt-hours of energy per kilogram, which is equivalent to twice the energy capacity of Tesla Powerwall batteries, according to NBC.
But there is still much to do. With the right manipulations, the researchers expect that this system delivers even more heat, at least 110 degrees Celsius higher.
"There is still a lot to do, we have just got the system up and running, and now we have to make sure that everything is optimized," says Moth-Poulsen.
If everything goes as planned, Moth-Poulsen believes the technology could be commercially available in 10 years.
The most recent study in the series was published in Energy & Environmental Science.
A version of this article was first published in November 2018.
The system works in a circle. By pumping through transparent tubes, the liquid is heated by sunlight, which converts the norbornadiene molecule into its square thermal scavenging isomer. The liquid is stored at room temperature with minimal energy loss.
When energy is needed, the fluid is filtered through a special catalyst that returns the molecules to their original shape and heats the fluid to 63 degrees Celsius.
The hope is that this heat can be used for home heating to power the water heater, dishwasher, dryer, and more than just a building before returning to the roof.
The researchers subjected the fluid to this cycle more than 125 times, absorbing heat and leaving it behind without significant damage to the molecule.
"We've made a lot of breakthroughs recently and now have an emission-free energy system that works all year round," Moth-Poulsen said.
After a series of rapid developments, researchers say their liquid can now consume 250 watt-hours of energy per kilogram, which is equivalent to twice the energy capacity of Tesla Powerwall batteries, according to NBC.
But there is still much to do. With the right manipulations, the researchers expect that this system delivers even more heat, at least 110 degrees Celsius higher.
"There is still a lot to do, we have just got the system up and running, and now we have to make sure that everything is optimized," says Moth-Poulsen.
If everything goes as planned, Moth-Poulsen believes the technology could be commercially available in 10 years.
The most recent study in the series was published in Energy & Environmental Science.
A version of this article was first published in November 2018.
