Principles of solar energy storage

Abstract

Energy storage is one of the most important energetic strategies of the mankind, along with other energy challenges, such as development of energy resources, energy conversion, and energy saving. The problem of energy storage is especially actual in respect to renewable sources of energy, such as sun, wind, tides, which have seasonal or diurnal variations and which therefore are not available at any moment of time. This article overviews the main principles of storage of solar energy for its subsequent long‐term consumption. The methods are separated into two groups: the thermal and photonic methods of energy conversion. The comparison of efficiency of energy production and storage through natural and artificial photosynthesis, sensible and latent heat, chemisorptions and physisorption, chemical and electrochemical reactions is given.