Today Finland is the first country to use sand batteries. This type of battery makes it possible to store energy for months.
Energy storage
The problem with solar or wind energy is that its capture does not always coincide with its use. Therefore, having an energy storage system is essentially essential.
Being able to store that energy and use it when it is in the best interest is the main objective. Finnish researchers have created a commercial solution that allows energy to be stored for months using material as cheap as sand.
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Sand battery
Instead of moving electrons, sand batteries use resistive heating to increase the temperature of the air. This is then transferred to the sand through a heat exchanger. Under this system, a large sand pile can be a battery for practical purposes.
Polar Night Energy has built warehouses with about 100 tons of sand that reach up to 500 degrees Celsius. The stores are almost 7 meters high. The main benefit is that this giant “battery” allows energy to be stored for months with an efficiency of 99%. This makes this project an interesting long-term storage system.
The first sand battery was made in the village of Kankaanpää in western Finland. There is no specific cost for the production of these stores. However, it has been concluded that sand is a cheaper material than lithium. In addition, it has the advantage that any sand can be used.
In general, the company estimates the cost to be approximately 10 euros per kilowatt hour; it assures that maintenance is minimal once built.
However, it has been concluded that it still requires a lot of energy to start this system. Finally, its use could be oriented mainly towards industries or buildings that require the use of power in a constant way.
