Top Ten Countdown: 2019 Advances in Solar – #1 And For Our Final Jolt

#1 – And For Our Final Jolt

We’ve looked at new solar designs, water purification, desert and floating solar farms, paint, tile and new colors, thin film and capturing sunlight after sundown.

What, then is, in our humble opinion, the #1 solar advancement to anticipate? We’re betting on thermal batteries that will both store and release heat.

Imagine hiking all day while your clothing absorbs sunlight which you later release via a thermal battery to stay warm at night or use to cook dinner instead of starting a fire.

Or a thermal battery that can heat a home or melt away snow via placement of a thin film on roofs, driveways and roadways.

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts and MIT are progressing, via different methods, to store thermal energy that will be able to create on-demand heat.

It may not be feasible at present but in about a decade, thermal batteries may well be to heating and cooking what electrical batteries are to your smartphone or car.

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Published by
Steven J. Schleider, MAI, LEED-AP BD+C
President, Metropolitan Valuation Services