MIT researchers have devised a unique solution to store energy inside modified concrete. BBC reported that MIT researcher Damian Stefaniuk and his colleagues have made a supercapacitor, an electrochemical energy storage device, from a mixture of water, cement, and carbon black, a highly conductive material used for car tire manufacture.
The researchers believe this unique supercapacitor can be a game-changer, taking the pressure off the electrical grid by providing ways to store green energy. Stefaniuk told the BBC, “If it can be scaled up, the technology can help solve an important issue — the storing of renewable energy.”
The applications of this technology are numerous. For example, roads built using this carbon-cement supercapacitor can quickly charge electric cars wirelessly, reducing their reliance on conventional chargers.
This cement can also be used as a building material for walls, foundations, or columns so that they do not just support the building but also store energy inside it.
However, this technology is still developing and at present can only store energy that can power a 10-watt LED for 30 hours. Though once scaled up, Stefaniuk claims this material could meet the daily energy needs of a residential house.