ChainStore takes thermal energy storage to the match

The technology uses biodegradable materials and can be made in large quantities easily, said Professor Saffa Riffat, President of the World Society of Sustainable Energy Technologies and head of Nottingham University’s Buildings, Energy and Environment Research Group, who led the research team.

With the world’s requirement for electrical power growing rapidly, and because of the intermittent nature of most renewable energy sources, the need for efficient technology for energy storage is increasingly urgent.

Thermal energy storage (TES) technology allows energy to be stored by heating or cooling a medium such as water, or causing a phase change in a material such as wax. The energy can then be recovered at a later time.

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Professor Riffat said most TES technologies are expensive and have poor heat transfer capabilities – it is not easy to get the heat in or out of the storage medium.