Development of solar thermal energy storage

Why is thermal storage important in a solar system?

Thermal storage plays a crucial role in solar systems as it bridges the gap between resource availability and energy demand, thereby enhancing the economic viability of the system and ensuring energy continuity during periods of usage.

What is thermal energy storage?

Thermal energy storage is a technique that stores thermal energy by heating or cooling a storage medium so that the energy can be used later for power generation, heating and cooling systems, and other purposes. In order to balance energy demand and supply on a daily, monthly, and even seasonal basis, Thermal energy storage systems are used.

Why is solar thermal technology important?

For regions with an abundance of solar resources, solar thermal technology is extremely promising for ensuring energy security, minimizing carbon footprints, and ultimately achieving sustainable development goals.

What are the different types of thermal energy storage technologies?

As shown in Figure 1, there are three main thermal energy storage technologies : sensible heat storage through a temperature change (sensible heat) of a material, latent heat storage through phase change (latent heat) of a material and thermochemical heat (chemical energy) by thermally inducing changes in materials’ chemical states.

How effective is thermal storage in solar plants?

A recent study evaluated the effectiveness of TES in solar plants, showing how thermal storage capacity significantly improves operational efficiency and production stability [2, 8].

What is a thermal energy storage outlook?

Each outlook identifies technology-, industry- and policy-related challenges and assesses the potential breakthroughs needed to accelerate the uptake. Thermal energy storage (TES) can help to integrate high shares of renewable energy in power generation, industry and buildings. This outlook identifies priorities for research and development.