--- title: "Researchers Debut Whole New Type of Solar Energy Storage" description: "A team of researchers have figured out a way to store energy from the Sun for several months at a time and release it on demand later." date: "2020-12-14" modified: "2020-12-14" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/researchers-solar-energy-storage" categories: - "Energy" - "Renewable Energy" - "Science & Energy" - "Solar Power" tags: - "energy storage" - "solar energy" - "the digest" --- # Researchers Debut Whole New Type of Solar Energy Storage ![A team of researchers have figured out a way to store energy from the Sun for several months at a time and release it on demand later.]() *\Image: Image via Pixabay\* ## Solar Battery A team of researchers from Lancaster University in the UK have invented a whole new way to store energy from the Sun [for several months]() at a time, with the option of releasing it on demand in the form of heat. The goal is to be able to capture and store significant amounts of solar energy during the much brighter and sunnier summer months for use in winter. In fact, their proposed method could allow for supplemental heating in both houses and offices, greatly reducing their environmental footprint. ## Bent Springs The researchers developed a "metal-organic framework" that consists of metal ions webbed together into three-dimensional structures. Special molecules loaded into the pores of these frameworks are able to absorb UV light and can change their shape when light or heat is applied. These special molecules can remain trapped at room temperature until external heat is applied to switch their state, like a bent spring snapping back. Tests showed that the material was able to store energy for more than four months. ## "Free" Energy "The material functions a bit like phase change materials, which are used to supply heat in hand warmers," Lancaster University senior lecturer John Griffin, co-author of [a paper]() about the research published in the journal *Chemistry of Materials*, said in [a statement](). "However, while hand warmers need to be heated in order to recharge them," he added, "the nice thing about this material is that it captures 'free' energy directly from the Sun." According to the researchers, the same technology could be used for data storage and even drug delivery as well. **READ MORE:** [New Material Can Store Energy From The Sun For Months or Even Years]() \[*Science Alert*\] **More on solar energy:** *[Solar Panel-Like Device Generates Power From Darkness]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()