Thermal energy storage provides a workable solution to this challenge. In a concentrating solar power (CSP) system, the sun's rays are reflected onto a receiver, which creates heat that is used to generate electricity that can be used immediately or stored for later use. Thermal energy storage has a number of benefits, including high-energy density, low costs, a readily available media storage, the ability to deliver heat and. . Researchers in the Stanford School of Sustainability have patented a sustainable, cost-effective, scalable subsurface energy storage system with the potential to revolutionize solar thermal energy storage by making solar energy available 24/7 for a wide range of industrial applications. It is an effective way of decoupling the energy demand and generation, while plays an important role on smoothing their fluctuations. In this chapter. . Thermal storage technologies have the potential to provide large capacity, long-duration storage to enable high penetrations of intermittent renewable energy, flexible energy generation for conventional baseload sources, and seasonal energy needs. Practical applications in managing solar and wind energy in. .
