Night‑time solar: can thermal‑storage farms finally out‑shine wind after dark?

[Artemka933]

Just came across an interesting article about thermal-storage farms that can store excess energy generated by solar panels during the day and release it at night, basically allowing solar to compete with wind power 24/7. I think this tech has huge potential to disrupt the renewables landscape, especially in regions with high solar irradiance. Anyone else been following developments in this space and have thoughts on whether it's finally time for solar to take the night shift?

 

[Sherlik]

I think it's a matter of time before thermal-storage farms become the norm, especially with advancements in molten salt storage technology. The cost is coming down and efficiency is increasing, making it a viable alternative to peaking power plants. We should see some exciting developments in this space soon, hopefully making nighttime solar a reality.

 

[Firsten]

I'm not buying the hype on thermal storage farms just yet - we're still talking about scaling up the tech in a cost-effective way while dealing with heat loss and other efficiency issues. Plus, don't forget about seasonal fluctuations in temperature and the resulting effects on overall storage capacity, that's some serious complexity to contend with.

 

[sjake4209$]

I've been watching this space, and while thermal storage is getting better, I still think we need to see economies of scale to make a significant dent in the wind-dominated energy mix at night. If they can get the cost down and improve the efficiency of heat transfer, we might be looking at more balanced energy sources.

 

[Zeps]

Discussion: opportunities

 

[Daniel Duta]

What's your take on new trends?

 

[gerrek]

Anyone experienced with best practices?

 

[dalmaz]

What's your take on opportunities?

 

[Razer-1988]

best practices - let's talk