An energy storage system that could potentially power a city of 100,000 homes with just renewable energy has been developed by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Thermal Energy Grid Storage-Multi-Junction Photovoltaics system, called “sun in a box”, stores heat from excess wind and solar power in tanks of molten silicon. MIT researchers have invented a novel method to store renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, and deliver that energy back into an electric grid on demand. The light emitted can be converted into electricity and fed to a grid. A team led by MIT Professor David Keith used the technology to create an energy-efficient building for a new research centre on climate change and sustainability.
An energy storage system that could potentially power a city of 100,000 homes with just renewable energy has been developed by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Thermal Energy Grid Storage-Multi-Junction Photovoltaics system, called “sun in a box”, stores heat from excess wind and solar power in tanks of molten silicon. The light emitted can be converted into electricity and fed to a grid. A team led by MIT Professor David Keith used the technology to create an energy-efficient building for a new research centre on climate change and sustainability.