Hindustan Times
Summary
Finland has started up the world’s largest sand battery in Pornainen. This new system stores renewable energy as heat in crushed soapstone, keeping homes warm.
Lithium batteries get all the attention, but they’re costly and come with their own environmental baggage. The Finnish team at Polar Night Energy decided to go back to basics and use sand, which is often just industrial waste from fireplace factories. The sand sits in a silo, and when there’s surplus electricity, a current is passed through, heating the sand up to a scorching 400 to 500 degrees Celsius. Thanks to clever insulation, the sand holds onto that heat for weeks, losing only about 10 percent along the way. When warmth is needed, hot air is drawn out and sent into the district heating network, as reported by ZME Science.
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