Did You Know Stones Can Be Used For Solar Energy Storage?
Did you know that there are many different types of energy – from the type that comes from plugs in the wall to power your electrical items, to the kind being stored in a battery? Solar energy comes from the sun and is not only absorbed by plants and crops to help them grow, but collected here on earth for heating, lighting and other human needs.
A means of collecting the solar energy and a way to generate it are needed to make sure we can access the sun’s energy. This means that the energy can be converted into another form of energy such as electricity and heat. Storing the energy makes it last longer, as the sun does not shine for 24 hours a day – and in some cases not at all!
Solar energy is very well suited for heating purposes and more people are integrating systems into their homes in an attempt to be more environmentally friendly. This heat energy can be stored in a liquid like water or a packed bed. A packed bed is a container in which small objects like stones can be placed. The stones are able to store solar energy. Heat energy can also be stored in phase-changer or heat-of-fusion units which use chemicals to alter solid to liquid at certain temperatures. Later the liquid can return to its solid form and the energy can be used.
