New material releases stored heat under weak pressure

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have discovered a new type of material which stores heat energy for a prolonged period, which they have termed a "heat storage ceramic." This new material can be used as heat storage ...

Storage heaters as buffers for wind power

As reported in the latest issue of Pictures of the Future, Siemens and RWE are planning to use storage heaters to make surplus solar and wind power more usable. In the RWE Wind Heating project, the two companies have worked ...

Exploring how we've underestimated Earth's heat storage

The increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gases in the atmosphere prevents the emission of heat into space. As a result, the Earth constantly absorbs more heat through solar radiation than it can give back off through thermal ...

Combination of insulation and thermal mass

When the summer sun burns in the sky, phase change materials (PCM) integrated in building envelopes absorb the heat – it remains cool inside. When it is getting colder outside, the materials give off heat. Several grams ...

3 Questions: David MacKay on renewable energy

David MacKay (pronounced mac-EYE), a professor of physics at the University of Cambridge, UK, was recently appointed to a three-year term as chief scientific advisor to the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change. ...

page 3 from 4