Bronze Age technology could be a fast and inexpensive solution to help achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Researchers from Stanford led by Mark Z. Jacobson developed a system that stores heat generated by solar or wind power using bricks made of the same materials as ancient insulating bricks. These “firebricks” can store heat for later use at high temperatures required for industrial processes like cement, steel, and glass production.
The firebrick technology is one-tenth the cost of batteries and can store heat instead of electricity. Many industries require high-temperature heat for manufacturing, which currently relies on burning fossil fuels and accounts for 17% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Generating industrial heat from renewable sources could eliminate these emissions.
In a hypothetical scenario where 149 countries transitioned to wind, geothermal, hydropower, and solar energy, the researchers found that using firebricks to store most industrial process heat would reduce capital costs by $1.27 trillion compared to not using this technology. It would also reduce demand for energy from the grid and the need for energy storage capacity from batteries.
This solution is connected to human health as air pollution from burning fossil fuels causes millions of early deaths each year. Replacing combustion fuels with electricity reduces air pollution, and a lower-cost solution like firebricks could be implemented more rapidly.
Source: https://techxplore.com/news/2024-08-bronze-age-technology-aid-energy.html