Some trials have been contacted in which nanofibres of an electricity-conducting plastic are used to fill the pores of red building bricks (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/aug/11/powerhouses-nanotechnology-turns-bricks-into-supercapacitor-batteries). The bricks then become supercapacitors capable of storing static charge, which (thus far) can power small lights. The advantages of supercapacitors is that they are very cheap and they charge and discharge much more quickly than batteries. The disadvantage is they can only store a fraction of the energy (currently about 1%) of a lithium-ion battery. The hope is, with improvements in capacity (perhaps achieved by adding metal oxides to the clay), bricks will become a viable option for storing the intermittent energy generated by solar or wind-powered devices attached to housing. Prefabrication of housing (which is regaining popularity) may offer other possibilities for incorporating supercapacitor properties into the structures (they presumably don't have to be in bricks?).
This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Wednesday, 12 August 2020
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