A “Battery” for Solar Heat
Imagine if your clothing could, on demand, release just enough heat to keep you warm, allowing you to lower your thermostat and still stay comfortable. Or picture a car windshield that stores the sun’s energy and then releases it to melt away a layer of ice. A team of MIT researchers says both scenarios may be possible soon, thanks to a new material that can store solar energy during the day and release it as heat whenever it’s needed. A transparent polymer film, it could be applied to many different surfaces, such as window glass or clothing.
The key to long-term, stable storage of solar heat is a chemical change, say MIT professor Jeffrey Grossman and postdoc David Zhitomirsky, who published their findings earlier this year. Whereas heat itself inevitably dissipates over time no matter how good the insulation around it, a chemical storage system can retain the energy indefinitely in a stable molecular configuration, until its release is triggered by a small jolt of heat (or light or electricity).
The system uses a type of molecule that can remain stable in either of two different configurations. When it’s exposed to sunlight, the energy in that light kicks the molecules into their “charged” configuration, and they can stay that way for long periods until their energy is released on demand.
Already, the preliminary system might be a significant boon for electric cars, which devote so much energy to heating and to deicing windshields that their driving range can drop by 30 percent in cold conditions. The new polymer could significantly reduce that drain, Grossman says.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.
And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.
The problem with plug-in hybrids? Their drivers.
Plug-in hybrids are often sold as a transition to EVs, but new data from Europe shows we’re still underestimating the emissions they produce.
How scientists traced a mysterious covid case back to six toilets
When wastewater surveillance turns into a hunt for a single infected individual, the ethics get tricky.
Google DeepMind’s new generative model makes Super Mario–like games from scratch
Genie learns how to control games by watching hours and hours of video. It could help train next-gen robots too.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.