Thermal energy storage is pretty great, as phase-change energy storage is very consistent with its energy output over time, unlike chemical batteries. You also get your pick from a wide range of materials that you can either heat up or cool down to store energy. Here, the selection is mostly dependent on how you wish to use that energy at a later date. [Hyperspace Pirate] is mostly interested in cooling down a house, on account of living in Florida.
As can be seen in the top image, the basic setup is pretty straightforward. PV solar power charges a battery until it’s fully charged. Then an MCU triggers a relay on the AC inverter, which then starts the cooling compressor on the water reservoir. This proceeds to phase change the water from a liquid into ice. The process can later be reversed, which will draw thermal energy out of the surrounding air and thus provide cooling.
Continue reading “Storing Solar Energy As Ice For Air Conditioning”
