In the city of Tampere in western Finland, a pump pushes hot air into a large container of builders sand. These rough and ready grains are surprisingly effective at retaining heat, storing it at very high temperatures for months at a time. This sand based technology aims to overcome one of the biggest challenges facing renewable energy - what do you do when the wind doesn't blow and the sun doesn't shine?
Sand batteries could store renewable energy
Aerial view of an offshore wind farm 2 in Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province of China. Source: Getty
Researchers in Finland have installed the world's first fully working "sand battery" which can store power from renewable sources for months at a time. The device, which contains 100 tonnes of low grade sand, is charged with heat made from cheap electricity from solar or wind.
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