Heat is an essential requirement for industries of products ranging from baby food to steel. At present, most of this heat is generated from fossil fuels.

Countries across the globe are looking at transitioning to green energy to cut emissions. Alternative sustainable sources of power such as wind and solar energy have not yet been developed to the extent that they can consistently generate the heat required by industries for manufacturing.

How do bricks help store heat energy?

This is where storage comes into the picture, and heat batteries are being looked at as a solution. Companies are working to design and deploy systems that are able to capture heat generated from green power and then store it for use later. The MIT Technology Review, in a blog post, highlighted how a US-based company is using a stack of bricks to help store heat energy.

These systems have simple designs that use materials that are commercially available and can be built fast as well.

Also Read: Explained: What is carbon, capture, utilisation, storage and can it help transition to net zero emissions

The MIT Technology Review highlights a US-based company Rondo Energy, which has developed a heat battery that is essentially bricks that are carefully stacked together.

According to the company's website, the heat battery utilises electric heating elements, a concept similar to the heating of an oven, to convert electrical energy into heat, which on radiating via the brick stacks, warms them to temperatures that can rise over 1,500°Celsius.

The bricks are stacked in an insulated steel container which keeps them hot for hours and even days. To utilise the stored heat, fans start to blow air that reaches up to 1,000°Celsius as it starts to travel via the gaps in the bricks. The MIT Technology Review article stated that how to finally use the heat depends on the type of commercial process.

In conclusion

New technology solutions to help transition to green energy are building blocks to developing an industrial sector that is climate friendly. Like RK Singh, the Union minister for power and new and renewable energy, recently said, "You won't get to net zero until you have round-the-clock renewable energy. And for that you need storage."

Also Read: Explained: How to reduce green hydrogen costs for sustainable energy