How Can the Cowper Stove be a Solution to the Climate Crisis?

Yes, an Invention from the 1800 Could Change the World

Early steel making blast furnaces used a special form of regenerator (aka battery) that used escaping heat to store energy that could be used later for an additional heat source.

Now several companies are using this “old” technology to store solar and wind energy when there is no wind or solar to draw from. This could provide a steady stream of energy without relying on chemical batteries which are expensive and made from elements that are energy wasteful when they are mined.

Solar and wind electricity are now lower cost than fossil fuels, worldwide but storing this energy when the wind doesn’t blow and when the sun doesn’t shine has always been a problem.

Look for this buzz word and acronym:

Thermal Energy Storage (TES)

Companies that you should be looking at for the future of such technology:

• Antora Energy
• Rondo Energy
• Brenmiller Energy
• Vatajankoski

The folks at Rondo Energy claim that their system will eliminate 15% of clobal CO2 emissions in 15 years. [efn_note]Rondo Energy[/efn_note]

References:

• ScienceDriect.com, 1977 – Thermal Efficiency
• CNN.com, Bill Weir, December 16, 2023 – These hot rocks can glow brighter than the sun. They could also help spell the end of fossil fuels