Photo: Polar Night Energy
Tommi Eronen had a light bulb moment while researching water-based energy storage systems in 2016. Reading about traditional Finnish fireplaces, made from stone and sand, he wondered if a solid material could store solar and wind energy, He developed and tested a sand battery, and with childhood friends, started Polar Night Energy to market it. In July, they installed the first commercial sand battery at Finland's Vatajankoski power plant. Their innovative idea for providing a year-round, steady power supply from renewable energy has generated excitement around the globe. The battery, which is cheaper than a lithium ion battery, stores 8 MWh of thermal energy when full. As demand rises, it discharges about 200 kW of power - enough to heat and provide hot water for about 100 homes and a public swimming pool, supplementing grid power. The battery is charged overnight when electricity prices are lower. Polar Night Energy is signing a contract to build a second battery for another district heating company in Finland that would be 10 times bigger than Kankaanpää.
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