Energy Storage For Solar Energy

Storing energy is is very important to making good ise of solar energy. Solar lights for example work at night by using stored energy that is inside a battery. Stored energy is actually converted energy from the sun. WIth the capacity to store the solar energy we won't be able to harness its potential. Energy storage is still in it's infancy despite all the progress and potential and this hasn't been more obvious than limited batteries and limited power of those batteries. You probably already know that rechargeable batters are used in everything from mobile phones, laptops, radios and even toys. Those kinds of batteries don't have a problem with being fully charged. You simply plug them in to the wall socket and they will be fully recharged in an few hours. Batteries that are charged by solar energy are a different matter altogether. The only way for them to be recharged is by direct sunlight. This sunlight is absorbed by the solar panels which in turn harness and convert the solar energy into the rechargeable batteries. The batteries then in turn power solar lights or other devices that use solar energy.

Storing solar energy can also be achieved by storing it at high temperatures using of all things molten salt. The energy is actually stored inside huge tanks along with the salt. Salts are ideal for storing solar energy for several reasons. The first as always is economical, salts don't cost as much money as other means. Secondly salt is very tolerant to extreme temperatures. There are other methods each of which is effective but to date energy storage is lacking. V2G is a perfect example. While hybrid cars are able to operate on solar energy the availability is just not there. And the longevity is insufficient to persuade car owners to trade in their gas guzzlers for these hybrids. More research is definitely needed and it's a shame that the federal goverment does not provide enough funding for this kind of research. The pressure could be coming from oil giants and car manufacturers because to develope a truly viable hybrid car with a battery that can last at least 3 days would require a lot of investment. These corporations are all about making money today and could care less what happens in the future. The good news is that solar lights are making progress and people can power their lights using solar energy