Firebrick heat storage technology, not batteries, will be used to store energy for industrial process heat in a 100% renewable energy system, says a study out of Stanford University.

Firebrick systems powered by renewable energy could be used for up to 90% of industrial process heat applications, the Stanford study says. Meeting that demand in the U.S. would require firebrick system capacity of 2.6 TWh, with a peak discharge rate of 170 GW.

  • @[email protected]English
    4•6 hours ago

    Ok, they’re claiming 98% rt efficiency.

    I don’t think we have 98% rt efficiency in anything, ever. That’s miraculous. Batteries are around 92% at best? Pumped hydro is 85% or so.

    That even sounds high for raw carnot efficiency.

    I mean, if so, wow, that’s awesome, and I don’t really doubt their 1% daily decay, that seems attainable.

    But 98% rt? I’m still skeptical.

    • Morphit English
      3•3 hours ago

      It’s heat though. They’re turning electricity into heat then moving that heat to where it’s needed, when it’s needed. Making heat from electricity is nearly 100% efficient, and pumping losses for moving fluids are going to be tiny compared to the the amount of heat they can move. They quote the heat loss in storage seperately as 1% per day. It seems reasonable.