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Anyone who has ever hot-footed it barefoot across the beach on a sunny day walks away with a greater understanding of just how much heat sand can retain. That ability is expected to play a vital role in the future, as technology involving heated sand becomes part of the answer to energy storage needs.
Batteries are likely what most people think about in terms of storing energy for later use, but other technologies exist. Pumped storage hydropower is one common method, albeit one that requires reservoirs at different elevations and is limited by geography. Another approach relies on what is known as thermal energy storage, or TES, which uses molten salt or even superheated rocks.
Read the full article originally published at cleantechnica.com.