Effective Solar Energy Storage System Developed

Researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a solar energy storage system that stores the thermal energy (heat) absorbed by solar panels at a lower cost than conventional energy storage methods.

The most common conventional methods for such a system involves storing the heat absorbed by solar thermal power plants in tanks of molten salt or in beds of packed rock or oils. This is, in general, thermal energy storage.

Panneer Selvam, center, Micah Hale, left, and Matt Strasser display the thermocline energy storage test system outside the Engineering Research Center in south Fayetteville.