Modern societies are called upon to face the consequences of their
persistence on using fossil fuels. Energy resources shortage and environment pollution
urge us to find alternative advanced technologies for viable and sustainable growth.
Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems supported by renewable energy sources
(mainly solar energy) can be viewed as an effective means of achieving the
aforementioned goal. This study reviews the available TES systems. In this context,
sensible TES systems which utilize liquid and solid storage media and their
applications are presented. Furthermore, the usage of ice and other solid-liquid phase
change materials in latent heat storage systems is investigated in terms of materials,
applications and future trends. Finally, the utilization of thermochemical reactions in
TES systems is presented.
Keywords: Aquifers, Boreholes, Energy Storage, Latent Heat,
Microencapsulation, Molten Salts, Phase Change Materials, Sensible Heat,
Stratification, Thermochemical Storage.
