Solar thermal energy storage Since the energy crisis of the 1970’s, it has been a long, slow, uphill trek trying to get alternative renewable energy incorporated into the minds, lives, and homes of mainstream society. In fact, if you look at the situation honestly, the only aspect of energy conservation that has achieved complete and universal acceptance has been the use of insulation as a means of reducing heating and cooling costs or energy consumption. But there is something else deserving of equal consideration.
No matter what you read or who you listen to, insulation is always touted as the first and highest priority in regard to energy conservation, even to the extent that one might be harshly criticized if they fail to mention insulating when writing anything pertaining to that subject. I have seen it happen.
We all agree that you always insulate before moving forward to incorporate any means of making a building more energy efficient.
Well, I am here to tell you that there is an area of alternative energy that is deserving of this very same “first consideration priority” in regards to renewable energy , and yet it is unknown to most people and languishing in near obscurity, even to most of those who are seeking some level of personal energy independence.
I am talking about LONG TERM STORAGE OF SOLAR THERMAL ENERGY (heat). Solar Thermal Storage (STS) is an area of renewable energy that combines the high heat potential of solar thermal with the storage potential of Geo-Thermal. It makes an awesome unparalleled combination. I am not saying that it is entirely unknown to all, but that compared to PV, wind, and conventional solar heating, it is not being written about or implemented very much . . . even though it is by far our best opportunity.
Not to suggest that we walk away from Solar PV or Wind Power. However, when there is an opportunity to utilize a resource that:
1. is far simpler . . . often could be implemented without any advanced technology.
2. is far more consistent . . . as it is not dependent on current daily conditions but rather the culmination of an entire years worth of energy availability.
3. can often be incorporated at far less cost . . . and with lower maintenance requirements.
4. can be utilized to meet all of a buildings energy needs . . . heating, cooling, and electric.
5. can be utilized at least to some extent by anyone, anywhere.
6. is not encumbered by extremes (too much heat or too much wind).
7. can be implemented at some level by poor and rich alike.
. . . it only makes good sense that it would be researched, developed, and utilized first, before other more expensive, technologically challenging, and environmentally intrusive options are pursued.
Now mind you that passive solar heating has been around for a long time and incorporated in our structures to one extent or another. Active solar heating, as well as solar water heating, although they are still pretty far out on the fringe, are making major headway toward mainstream acceptance. Even simple Geo thermal with heat pumps (rather than conventional furnaces) is growing in popularity as well.
But the notion of capturing the heat of the summer sun, and storing it in the ground, rather than reflecting it away (as most people still do), has not caught on at all for the most part. True, there are several buildings that do utilize this technique and even at least one entire community that is collectively storing heat in the ground, but by and large, most people are not aware of the awesome potential that this holds for us. If you search and look on-line you will see that there is very little written on it or available.
In spite of all of the insulation that has been added to the majority of buildings in the US, the cost to heat space and water still remains highest in terms of both energy and dollars. This means that if all else were equal, we should be prioritizing alternative carbon free heating methods over electricity generation. But in fact things are not equal and everything points in favor of investing our time and dollars in developing this technology. In fact, heating and cooling costs amount to at least 15% of all energy consumption in the US. That includes public lighting, manufacturing, and transportation.
There is no other alternative energy source that can be so quickly, simply, and effectively utilized and that can be made available to the poor, and wealthy alike.
Are we going to sit back and say “well, these things simply take time to get out and work there way into the mainstream” ? Hogwash! This is the day of instant available information. We can make an immediate difference if we choose to do so. I read a comment on a blog the other day made by a gentleman who said that he has been quietly installing solar water heating systems for years. Well, we must break that silence. We must deliver this rapidly into the mainstream mindset. It is every bit as important and universal as insulation, and at its most basic level it can be so incredibly simple.
Am I suggesting that we are prepared to implement this in every building right away . . . by no means! There is much research that needs to be done to discover the best methods for implementing this in diverse situations and localities. But we must take this to the forefront of conversation topics regarding alternative energy. We must begin considering the obstacles that will be faced by this technology, and seeking viable solutions to overcome them in the most practical way. We must begin to find ways to implement this if even as only a heating supplement . . . at a cost that anyone could afford.
There are programs in existence where utility companies “finance” energy conservation methods based on future savings. In other words, you might implement this heating method and pay for it over time with the money that you no longer spend. Governement subsidies and tax breaks are also common for other less practical alternative energy systems.
Certainly the best time to implement it is when a new building is being constructed because an insulated and protected “storage mass” can be established, and the funds that would have paid for a furnace, can go to offset the costs of implementing this system. But it can be implemented into existing structures!
Rise up from the seat of complacency . . . help get the word out . .. start the discussions . . . help move this forward quickly, as it should be.
Read more thoughts and ideas on alternative energy and resourceful living at www.pandscorp.org
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Afterthought:
I was driving to work today and a thought came to me . . . what about those summmer days where the temps get up to ninety and above? It seems that in some places there would be potential for using a fan to draw that heat underneath large buildings and warm the soil. No cost for collectors, just a fan to draw hot air under ground.
Come on now . . .open your mind . . . what about in cities where large underground systems of piping already exist. What if we heated all of the ground around our storm sewers where they run under or next to buildings?
We are looking for ways to reduce heating costs and energy consumption in cost effective ways . . . and any help is a step in the right direction.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specific_heat_capacity
Google specific heat to find good info.
Water has one of thee highest specific heat capacity.
http://www.chemicool.com/definition/heat_of_crystallization.html
If you take advantage of the heat of crystallization and heat of hydration of certain water soluble compounds, you can increase the heat capacity even more.
http://www.ktf-split.hr/glossary/en_o.php?def=heat%20of%20hydration
A good example is the heat given off by concrete as it sets. This is caused by the chemical reaction (hydration) of the cement.
If you use a chemical system that is reversible, you form a heat ‘Battery’, if you will.
Yes . . . and this has made me wonder if using water to take the heat down to greater depths might be an option.
say, for instance you have a school or some other building that covers a large surface area and is only one or two stories tall. In some geographic localities, the soil beneath the building should remain sheltered from intrusive ground water to a fairly significant depth. This being the case, any heat “poured” into the ground at the center of the structure should remain absorbed in the surrounding soil and not “flushed” away by rain. In this case, if water could be used as the heat transfer medium, then the cost of getting the heat down into the ground and stored in the “bank” could be kept very very low. Then, the natural tendency for heat to rise should make it available by simply removing the insulation that holds it in check.
I am not trying to over simplify what can be very complex and expensive in many cases. I only want to suggest that there is enough potential to do at least a little good, and in many cases a lot of good . . .without always having to spend a ton of money trying to come up with a perfect answer.
Look how much has been invested in PV (research and subsidies) and how inefficient and expensive it still is.
Capturing solar heat can be so very simple and inexpensive(garden hose) . . . why not fully explore the opportunities that lie there?
There’s a new public school going up down the road that my son will be going to next year. It will use heat pumps to store heat in the ground during the Summer and extract heat from the ground in the Winter.
This is mature technology and has been around since the 70’s
The only reason it has not been used more is the initial investment. There’s a hydroelectric dam about 300 meters from where the school is being built, so they do have a backup energy source. :)
I was thinking in terms of two sets of “radient tubing”–one connected to a cold-sink on the north side of the home running through the ceiling and the other connected to a heat-sink and running through the floor. Granted, this would work best in a one-story home, but I think it has possibilities.
A good way of storing the heat in the heat-sink would be a mixture of rock of varying sizes and water in an in-ground concrete cistern. The heat would be fed from solar panels heating a glycol solution; the water would absorb the heat, transferring it to the rocks for long-term storage.
For the cold-sink, I would think simply an in-ground plastic tank that could handle water frozen solid as well as just cold. The cold would be fed to the tank in a similar fashion as the “four-mile-island icebox” (http://fourmileisland.com/IceBox.htm).
Just a thought (g).
Sounds like you guys are discussing a form of geothermal heating that is already being used. Here at Ball State University, plans were just unveiled to implement the largest geothermal heating plant of this type in the country. It is replacing a coal fired heat plant, let’s hope it happens as planned.
There are quite a few geothermal projects happening around Cumbria now.
While doing some reading on earth tubes, I wondered if they could be combined with a heat sink/cold sink to better access the in-ground stored btus. With two sets of earth tubes — one set on the north side of the home running underneath the cold sink, another set on the south side set on top of the heat sink — you could use the tubes on the south side in the wintertime for supplementing heating system and the tubes on the north side to supplement the cooling system.