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The challenge of storing energy year-round has been one of the biggest obstacles to the widespread adoption of green power.
However, Polar Night Energy has developed the world's first fully functional commercial sand battery, which could offer a low-cost, low-impact solution to the storage problem. It is the first commercial sand battery in the world, and it was built in Kankaanpää, Finland in 2022.
The Polar Night sand battery works by heating sand up to high temperatures (at around 500°C) using excess renewable energy, such as solar or wind power. The hot sand can then be stored for months or even years, and then discharged to provide heat or electricity when needed.
The Polar Night sand battery has a capacity of 8 megawatt hours (MWh) of thermal energy, and it can discharge about 200 kilowatts (kW) of power. This means that it can provide heat for about 4,000 homes for a day, or it can generate enough electricity to power about 100 homes for a day.
The Polar Night sand battery is relatively inexpensive to build, and it is compatible with a wide range of renewable energy sources. It is also scalable, so it can be built in larger sizes to store more energy.
The Polar Night sand battery is a promising new technology for storing renewable energy. It is relatively inexpensive, scalable, and compatible with a wide range of renewable energy sources. As the world transitions to a clean energy future, sand batteries could play an important role in helping to balance the grid and ensuring that we have a reliable source of energy when we need it.
Here are some additional facts about the Polar Night sand battery:
- The sand battery is made up of a silo of sand, a heat exchanger, and an insulated container.
- The sand is heated up using excess renewable energy, such as solar or wind power.
- The hot sand is stored in the insulated container for months or even years.
- When heat is needed, the hot sand is circulated through the heat exchanger, which transfers the heat to water or air.
- The hot water or air can then be used to heat homes, businesses, or industrial processes.
As the world transitions to a clean energy future, sand batteries could play an important role in helping to balance the grid and ensuring that we have a reliable source of energy when we need it.
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On the date of publication, Andy Mukolo did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
