Finnish Technology Can Store Solar and Wind Power – in Sand

[Juks]

The technology is persistently moving forward, despite all the naysayers. We (the EU) will leave the US under Trump behind:

Translation from article in TV4 (Swedish news):
Original article for reference:

Ny teknik kan lagra sol- och vindkraft – i sand

”En enkel lösning för att skala upp energikapaciteten”

www.tv4.se

"Finnish Technology Can Store Solar and Wind Power – in Sand
"A simple solution to scale up energy capacity"

"In Finland, a technology has been developed to store energy from wind and solar power in sand. The solution could make renewable energy manageable even on calm and overcast days.
"We are at the world's first commercial sand battery," says Eero Hammais, Communications Manager at the energy company Vatajankoski. In Kankaanpää, southeastern Finland, Vatajankoski has built a seven-meter-high silo filled with sand. The sand is heated to 600 degrees Celsius using surplus energy from the grid, enabling energy from wind and solar power to be stored. The stored heat is used to warm homes by enhancing the residual heat from a nearby server hall. "The servers produce residual heat that warms the water in the pipes. The sand battery then further increases the heat so the water reaches 85 degrees and can be distributed through the city's district heating network," says Eero Hammais.
Larger Battery Underway
The developer, Polar Night Energy, is now working on extracting electricity from the batteries. Currently, their second sand battery is being finalized in Porvoo, southern Finland, which will be ten times larger than the first. The aim is to replace the wood chip burning that currently powers the district heating system there, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By charging the battery when electricity prices are low due to abundant supply, the storage could also lead to more stable prices for district heating.

Locally Adaptable​

After testing with sauna stones and other materials, the developer believes sand batteries can be built anywhere using locally available sand or stone. For example, the soapstone in Porvoo comes from a nearby fireplace manufacturer. "There’s no problem heating the sand to 600 degrees. It’s more about the equipment than the sand itself. With such high temperatures, we can store large amounts of energy per cubic meter," says Ville Kivioja. To drive electric generators, further development of the technology is required for even higher temperatures. However, Ville Kivioja believes the batteries are already ready to not only provide district heating but also meet the heat demands of industries – even in warmer countries than Finland.

"We have a simple solution to scale up energy capacity. It will make wind and solar power more or less manageable," says Ville Kivioja."

 

[Jessie C]

The technology is persistently moving forward, despite all the naysayers. We (the EU) will leave the US under Trump behind:

Translation from article in TV4 (Swedish news):
Original article for reference:

Ny teknik kan lagra sol- och vindkraft – i sand

”En enkel lösning för att skala upp energikapaciteten”

www.tv4.se

"Finnish Technology Can Store Solar and Wind Power – in Sand
"A simple solution to scale up energy capacity"

"In Finland, a technology has been developed to store energy from wind and solar power in sand. The solution could make renewable energy manageable even on calm and overcast days.
"We are at the world's first commercial sand battery," says Eero Hammais, Communications Manager at the energy company Vatajankoski. In Kankaanpää, southeastern Finland, Vatajankoski has built a seven-meter-high silo filled with sand. The sand is heated to 600 degrees Celsius using surplus energy from the grid, enabling energy from wind and solar power to be stored. The stored heat is used to warm homes by enhancing the residual heat from a nearby server hall. "The servers produce residual heat that warms the water in the pipes. The sand battery then further increases the heat so the water reaches 85 degrees and can be distributed through the city's district heating network," says Eero Hammais.
Larger Battery Underway
The developer, Polar Night Energy, is now working on extracting electricity from the batteries. Currently, their second sand battery is being finalized in Porvoo, southern Finland, which will be ten times larger than the first. The aim is to replace the wood chip burning that currently powers the district heating system there, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By charging the battery when electricity prices are low due to abundant supply, the storage could also lead to more stable prices for district heating.

Locally Adaptable​

After testing with sauna stones and other materials, the developer believes sand batteries can be built anywhere using locally available sand or stone. For example, the soapstone in Porvoo comes from a nearby fireplace manufacturer. "There’s no problem heating the sand to 600 degrees. It’s more about the equipment than the sand itself. With such high temperatures, we can store large amounts of energy per cubic meter," says Ville Kivioja. To drive electric generators, further development of the technology is required for even higher temperatures. However, Ville Kivioja believes the batteries are already ready to not only provide district heating but also meet the heat demands of industries – even in warmer countries than Finland.

"We have a simple solution to scale up energy capacity. It will make wind and solar power more or less manageable," says Ville Kivioja."

Leave us is the dust where we belong.

 

[Ishm]

Leave us is the dust where we belong.

There is definitely a growing possibility that the US will wake up 1 to 2 decades from now to the fact that the rest of the world is running on much cheaper energy, with all the manufacturing and lifestyle consequences that would bring.

 

[Jessie C]

There is definitely a growing possibility that the US will wake up 1 to 2 decades from now to the fact that the rest of the world is running on much cheaper energy, with all the manufacturing and lifestyle consequences that would bring.

Great reason to be an ex-pat. Wish I would live long enough to be one.

 

[Port & Starboard]

The technology is persistently moving forward, despite all the naysayers. We (the EU) will leave the US under Trump behind:

Translation from article in TV4 (Swedish news):
Original article for reference:

Ny teknik kan lagra sol- och vindkraft – i sand

”En enkel lösning för att skala upp energikapaciteten”

www.tv4.se

"Finnish Technology Can Store Solar and Wind Power – in Sand
"A simple solution to scale up energy capacity"

"In Finland, a technology has been developed to store energy from wind and solar power in sand. The solution could make renewable energy manageable even on calm and overcast days.
"We are at the world's first commercial sand battery," says Eero Hammais, Communications Manager at the energy company Vatajankoski. In Kankaanpää, southeastern Finland, Vatajankoski has built a seven-meter-high silo filled with sand. The sand is heated to 600 degrees Celsius using surplus energy from the grid, enabling energy from wind and solar power to be stored. The stored heat is used to warm homes by enhancing the residual heat from a nearby server hall. "The servers produce residual heat that warms the water in the pipes. The sand battery then further increases the heat so the water reaches 85 degrees and can be distributed through the city's district heating network," says Eero Hammais.
Larger Battery Underway
The developer, Polar Night Energy, is now working on extracting electricity from the batteries. Currently, their second sand battery is being finalized in Porvoo, southern Finland, which will be ten times larger than the first. The aim is to replace the wood chip burning that currently powers the district heating system there, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By charging the battery when electricity prices are low due to abundant supply, the storage could also lead to more stable prices for district heating.

Locally Adaptable​

After testing with sauna stones and other materials, the developer believes sand batteries can be built anywhere using locally available sand or stone. For example, the soapstone in Porvoo comes from a nearby fireplace manufacturer. "There’s no problem heating the sand to 600 degrees. It’s more about the equipment than the sand itself. With such high temperatures, we can store large amounts of energy per cubic meter," says Ville Kivioja. To drive electric generators, further development of the technology is required for even higher temperatures. However, Ville Kivioja believes the batteries are already ready to not only provide district heating but also meet the heat demands of industries – even in warmer countries than Finland.

"We have a simple solution to scale up energy capacity. It will make wind and solar power more or less manageable," says Ville Kivioja."

Development of new technologies is always a worthy and exciting pursuit, and I personally love reading up on projects likes this one. Private citizens and companies are always tinkering on something that are worth reading up on.

Why do you feel the need to make a political hack thread out of it?

 

[Lord of Planar]

This is old technology and not very efficient. It will be interesting to see if they make it practical.

 

[EdwinWillers]

This is old technology and not very efficient. It will be interesting to see if they make it practical.

Agreed. It is interesting, but old tech and inefficient - one of the four forms of energy storage (thermal) that's been tried, and used with varying success, albeit in limited application.

Another company in Finland is building the world's largest thermal energy storage facility - an underground hole basically, to store energy in the form of heated water. 1.1 million cubic meters. Impressive.

 

[Pippi Longstock]

Right back in the ground it goes.

 

[Lord of Planar]

Agreed. It is interesting, but old tech and inefficient - one of the four forms of energy storage (thermal) that's been tried, and used with varying success, albeit in limited application.

Another company in Finland is building the world's largest thermal energy storage facility - an underground hole basically, to store energy in the form of heated water. 1.1 million cubic meters. Impressive.

The best forms of thermal storage are the ones that use the enthalpy of fusion for storage. They are still not very cost efficient.

 

[EdwinWillers]

The best forms of thermal storage are the ones that use the enthalpy of fusion for storage. They are still not very cost efficient.

In time, I suspect we'll find something that is both useful and cost efficient.

Personally, I think fusion in general will be the end-all solution to our energy problems - but we've a long way to go befor we achieve that.

 

[Utility Man]

Playing right into putins hands.

 

[Lord of Planar]

In time, I suspect we'll find something that is both useful and cost efficient.

Personally, I think fusion in general will be the end-all solution to our energy problems - but we've a long way to go befor we achieve that.

Not atomic fusion. The heat of fusion. That is where a chemical changes between a solid and liquid.

Consider this. Water freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 100 degrees Celsius. The heat capacity between these two points for a kilogram of water is 418,400 joules of heat, or 162 watt hours.

The heat of fusion between zero degree ice and zero degree water is 80% of that, or 93 watt-hours.

Different materials have a different heat capacity and heat of fusion. I forget what material was used in experiments I read of before.

 

[Lord of Planar]

Playing right into putins hands.

That's a pretty good deep fake.

 

[multivita-man]

The technology is persistently moving forward, despite all the naysayers. We (the EU) will leave the US under Trump behind:

Translation from article in TV4 (Swedish news):
Original article for reference:

Ny teknik kan lagra sol- och vindkraft – i sand

”En enkel lösning för att skala upp energikapaciteten”

www.tv4.se

"Finnish Technology Can Store Solar and Wind Power – in Sand
"A simple solution to scale up energy capacity"

"In Finland, a technology has been developed to store energy from wind and solar power in sand. The solution could make renewable energy manageable even on calm and overcast days.
"We are at the world's first commercial sand battery," says Eero Hammais, Communications Manager at the energy company Vatajankoski. In Kankaanpää, southeastern Finland, Vatajankoski has built a seven-meter-high silo filled with sand. The sand is heated to 600 degrees Celsius using surplus energy from the grid, enabling energy from wind and solar power to be stored. The stored heat is used to warm homes by enhancing the residual heat from a nearby server hall. "The servers produce residual heat that warms the water in the pipes. The sand battery then further increases the heat so the water reaches 85 degrees and can be distributed through the city's district heating network," says Eero Hammais.
Larger Battery Underway
The developer, Polar Night Energy, is now working on extracting electricity from the batteries. Currently, their second sand battery is being finalized in Porvoo, southern Finland, which will be ten times larger than the first. The aim is to replace the wood chip burning that currently powers the district heating system there, reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By charging the battery when electricity prices are low due to abundant supply, the storage could also lead to more stable prices for district heating.

Locally Adaptable​

After testing with sauna stones and other materials, the developer believes sand batteries can be built anywhere using locally available sand or stone. For example, the soapstone in Porvoo comes from a nearby fireplace manufacturer. "There’s no problem heating the sand to 600 degrees. It’s more about the equipment than the sand itself. With such high temperatures, we can store large amounts of energy per cubic meter," says Ville Kivioja. To drive electric generators, further development of the technology is required for even higher temperatures. However, Ville Kivioja believes the batteries are already ready to not only provide district heating but also meet the heat demands of industries – even in warmer countries than Finland.

"We have a simple solution to scale up energy capacity. It will make wind and solar power more or less manageable," says Ville Kivioja."

It's a concept. There's also the problem of scale.

 

[EdwinWillers]

Not atomic fusion. The heat of fusion. That is where a chemical changes between a solid and liquid.

Consider this. Water freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 100 degrees Celsius. The heat capacity between these two points for a kilogram of water is 418,400 joules of heat, or 162 watt hours.

The heat of fusion between zero degree ice and zero degree water is 80% of that, or 93 watt-hours.

Different materials have a different heat capacity and heat of fusion. I forget what material was used in experiments I read of before.

No, I understand you meant the heat of fusion (enthalpy of fusion). I understand it as the energy it takes to change a solid into a liquid and vice versa.

Just saying I think nuclear fusion is ultimately the final solution.

 

[Lord of Planar]

No, I understand you meant the heat of fusion (enthalpy of fusion). I understand it as the energy it takes to change a solid into a liquid and vice versa.

Just saying I think nuclear fusion is ultimately the final solution.

Fusion has been only 10 years away for over 50 years now.