Apart from producing clean and green energy from the sun, it has also become important to store this energy so that it can be used whenever we need it. This is because the sun is not available during night time and when the skies are overcast. Though the energy is renewable its source, the sun is not available always. Today solar energy is being used in offices and homes for cooling, heating and many other purposes.
The whole idea is to gradually shift from using conventional forms of electricity to completely using green energy such as using solar energy, wind energy and hydroelectricity. Let us have a look at some of the ways in which solar energy is being stored.
The first method of storing solar energy is the use of lithium battery. These are lithium batteries and they are rechargeable. This special battery has been invented by International Battery, which is a green technology battery. The company has also invented a solar energy storage system called Ibexus. This is a 24 volt, 4.1 kilowatt per hour energy storage system.
The battery has a cluster of individual cells which are 70 times larger than the batteries used in today’s electronic devices. The battery has a renewable property that allows it to backup power and then it can be used a source of energy during the day or night. This way the energy grid is not stressed on days when the sun does not show up in the sky. However the system is designed to store several types of energy sources. The project has been tested with positive results in those projects that require load shifting in the micro grid.
Then there is this new technology introduce by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The researchers have come out with a technology that can be used to power homes as well as electric cars. This technology could allow solar power to be stored as a source of energy 24 hours per day. This technology makes use of materials such as electrodes, cobalt metal and phosphates. These materials do not harm the environment and they are available in abundance. This technology works on the basis of photosynthesis that stores energy that can be used later. The Cenosis Family Foundation has invested $10 million in this project.
In another project molten salts are used to store energy. This method is a low cost method as the salts have the power to deliver heat whenever needed.