Hot new discovery: Rare metal that stores heat from sun makes the 'rechargeable solar battery' pos

Wow here is a metal that you could leave out in the sun in the summer then use it to heat your house in the winter. Sounds great however there is a catch, it is very rare thus very expensive. Luckily for us scientists are working on cheaper alternatives. www.dailymail.co.uk...

Scientists have discovered how a rare metal is able to absorb sunlight and store it as pure heat until it is needed.

The breakthrough paves the way for the next generation of solar power devices that are able to harness energy and heat collected from the sun and store it indefinitely.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology say it could be used to create a ‘rechargeable heat battery’ that could be used to heat a home.


Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...

This is great! Now all we need to do is find a way to multiply the chemical structure so it can cheap and affordable for all! Lets put an end to that damn meter outside out homes =D

reply to post by tarifa37


Well now, that could be used for all sorts of space exploration purposes let alone heating a home. Heating a home is actually rather funny when you think about it. I am thinking more along the lines of colonization ships and stations and biospheres etc.

Add: Lets see how long before you never hear about it again

For some more juicy goodness:
1 Article at PhysOrg
2 Paper about this molecule / process
From the pdf:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/5f2d1681b5ff.gif[/atsimg]
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/a1ea5b97709f.gif[/atsimg]

This is awesome.

reply to post by TheRemedial


I hear what you are saying for most people in Europe heating their home is a huge priority even more important now that global warming means that winters are now more severe ( how does that work ) Here in the UK we are having the most heaviest snowfalls ever recorded in November. If that is a taste of things to come coupled with gas and electric bills that are sprinting away so fast that even Linford Christie ( if he wasn't stuck in the jungle) couldn't catch up , then we are going to be wanting if not demanding a cheaper alternative.