Advancement in Phase Change Materials for Solar Thermal Energy Storage

Thermal energy storage systems are able to store energy available in excess, for example, solar energy, and this stored energy can be reused later whenever needed. As energy consumption increases worldwide due to industrialization, the economic growth of countries and our standards of living also undergo change. Energy storage in any form reduces wastage and saves expensive fuels, thus leading to a cost-effective system. Thermal energy storage materials, which store energy in the form of latent heat. Inorganic phase change materials generally include hydrated salts and possess higher thermal conductivity than Organic phase change materials. Solar air heating is a technique used to heat or condition the air for use in a building space or other applications. A solar dryer is a device which uses solar radiation to dehydrate substances in general and food in particular. Use of solar energy in cooking is one of the more common ways in which this energy is utilized.