Photo credit: Heat Storage Berlin
Imagine this: on a sunny, windy day, solar panels and wind turbines are producing more clean electricity than the grid needs. What if you could bottle all that excess, green energy and use it after the sun goes down and the wind dies down?
According to Euronews Green, Heat Storage Berlin is doing just that: the innovative German company has developed a device that can store excess renewable energy as high-temperature heat, which can then be used to produce steam or hot water when needed.
“This allows us to supply steam to entire industries such as breweries or the paper industry using sustainable energy,” explains Ulrich Prochaska, founder and CEO of Heat Storage Berlin.
So why is this such a big issue? Prochaska puts it succinctly: “We absolutely must stop burning oil and gas because of climate change.” And he's right, the Earth has already warmed by about 1.9 degrees Fahrenheit.
By storing excess clean energy for later use, Heat Storage Berlin helps ease strain on the power grid and smooth out troublesome peaks and valleys in renewable energy generation, while reducing reliance on climate-damaging pollution.
Here's how it works: When there's more clean electricity than people need, the device uses electricity to heat a thermal storage device to scorching temperatures. Then, when that energy is needed, it's released as steam or hot water.
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Best of all, the prototype only requires about four hours of electricity per day to provide heat 24/7.
Thanks to its simple design and durable materials, Heat Storage Berlin units are built to last for over 40 years. No need to worry about tedious chemical treatments or special waste – a reliable, long-lasting solution for greening heat-intensive industries.
Berlin-based brewery BRLO is already on board, planning a new facility that will use used energy from Heat Storage Berlin to fuel its brew kettles. Cheers to that!
But Heat Storage Berlin is doing more than just making climate-friendly beer: their prototype is also powering a pizza oven that serves up piping hot slices that are completely carbon neutral. Suddenly, battling rising temperatures has never been more delicious.
So when will we see Heat Storage Berlin's technology in action? With the company committed to expanding industrial use of its heat storage devices, and over 200 eco-innovators collaborating at Berlin's former Tegel Airport, which has become a sustainability hub, it's only a matter of time before planet-saving solutions like these accelerate the momentum for climate action.
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