MIT researchers have developed a new way of storing solar energy that does not involve batteries.
Extremetech.com is reporting that researchers from the prestigious college have created a material, which allows the sun's energy to be stored as heat, which could be used anytime.
Being that the material is ultra-adaptive, too, the possibilities for it are exciting as they're seemingly endless, with the brilliant minds at MIT mentioning it being applied to car windshields to melt ice or stitched into clothes to keep people warm as just a couple of potential uses.
According to Extremetech, MIT researchers created this material with a molecule, which exists in two states — one of which stores solar energy. That embedded state in the material has been referred to as a solar thermal fuel (STF), however, MIT's version of it is said to more effective, as it converts to a charged state for several days when exposed to sunlight.
Those charged molecules can be then used on-demand as heat, whenever needed. In fact, MIT researchers' designed polymer film can release stored heat about 10 degrees warmer than that of its outside environment, according to Extremetech.
Let's see how quickly this stored heat technology develops and progresses.
