Converting solar energy to electricity on demand

The researchers behind an energy system that makes it possible to capture solar energy, store it for up to 18 years and release it when and where it is needed have now taken the system a step further. After previously demonstrating how the energy can be extracted as heat, they have now succeeded in getting the system to produce electricity, by connecting it to a thermoelectric generator. Eventually, the research—developed at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden—could lead to self-charging electronics using stored solar energy on demand.The researchers behind an energy system that makes it possible to capture solar energy, store it for up to 18 years and release it when and where it is needed have now taken the system a step further. After previously demonstrating how the energy can be extracted as heat, they have now succeeded in getting the system to produce electricity, by connecting it to a thermoelectric generator. Eventually, the research—developed at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden—could lead to self-charging electronics using stored solar energy on demand.