During prolonged power outages or energy crises, stored solar heat in sand can provide a reliable and stable source of warmth, even when other energy sources fail. By building heat storage close to points of use, such as residential areas, hospitals, water treatment plants, or other critical societal functions, dependence on emergency backup solutions, which are often costly, uncertain, and time-limited, is reduced. When heat is stored locally, it can be released exactly where it is needed, helping to keep essential services running even during a crisis.
Decentralized energy solutions like the sand battery also help spread the risks in energy supply. Instead of relying on a few central nodes that can be easily disrupted, for example by drone attacks or other physical threats, a network of local resources is created, forming a robust system as a whole. This redundancy ensures that even if part of the system is affected, other parts can continue delivering heat and support societal security.
Technologies such as the sand battery can therefore be seen as key components in a more resilient energy system. They act as a bridge between normal operations and crisis situations, reducing vulnerability and enabling rapid recovery after disruptions.
Sustainable innovation is thus not only about reducing emissions and meeting climate targets. It is also about building a safer society where people and organizations can rely on a stable supply of heat, even when the outside world is under stress.
Energy systems are increasingly exposed to new types of threats, including drone attacks on central nodes in electricity and district heating networks. The sand battery offers a decentralized complement that reduces vulnerability. By storing heat locally, close to users and critical infrastructure, an energy network is created that cannot be disrupted by a single attack. In this way, the sand battery helps make society’s heat supply more robust and resilient, even in an uncertain environment.
When Svenska kraftnät recently announced that there will be no additional electricity reserve this winter, concerns about power shortages were raised. In an interview with SVT, operations manager Pontus de Maré highlighted two particularly risky scenarios: an extremely cold winter across Europe with no wind and limited import possibilities, or one or more nuclear reactors being temporarily taken offline.
In such situations, local sand batteries can play a crucial role.
A Sand Battery stores energy as heat rather than electricity. During the summer, dry sand is heated to several hundred degrees using solar panels or cheap electricity when supply is abundant. The stored heat can then be used in winter to warm buildings, ventilation air, or water without straining the power grid during peak demand.
In practice, a sand battery works like a giant thermos filled with sand. The energy is stored safely and efficiently, and since sand is both cheap and harmless, the storage can be placed underground and last for many years with minimal maintenance.
On cold, windless days, acute power shortages often occur. Electricity is needed not only for households and industry but also for heating. If part of the heating demand is already covered by heat stored in sand batteries, total electricity consumption can drop significantly during the most critical hours.
A household with a sand battery can store heat from summer solar energy or cheap nighttime electricity and use it during winter, independent of the power grid. On a larger scale, municipalities can install local sand storage to heat hospitals, schools, or apartment buildings. Together, these small storages form a decentralized capacity reserve, a heat buffer that smooths peak loads without fossil fuels.
Sweden’s current energy system lacks local preparedness for prolonged power outages. Sand batteries offer a new way of thinking. Instead of a single central capacity reserve, thousands of smaller heat storages can be spread across the country to collectively reduce the risk of electricity shortages.
If every municipality had its own heat storage, Sweden would be much stronger in scenarios such as a severely cold, windless winter. Being able to manage for an extended period without electricity while still having heat is not only reassuring but can prove crucial for the stability of the energy system.
During military operations and crisis situations, fuel is a critical and vulnerable resource. With the sand battery, solar energy can be stored as heat and used when needed, reducing the need for transport and the consumption of fossil fuels. This provides a safer, more resilient energy supply and frees up resources for other essential functions.
Continue generating and storing solar electricity during power outages and keep critical equipment running, even without the grid.
Keep heating your home during blackouts and increase your resilience in disaster situations.
Reduce electricity grid charges by monitoring power usage in real time and dynamically shaving peak loads using stored energy and load management.
Reduce electricity grid costs by automatically shifting energy consumption in the building to periods outside tariff intervals, without compromising comfort.
As climate change and new security risks put increasing pressure on our energy systems, the need for resilient solutions is becoming clearer. Recently, the threat of drone attacks on energy infrastructure has highlighted just how vulnerable today’s power grid can be.
The sand battery offers a way to build up local, stable heat reserves that remain available even if electricity supply is temporarily disrupted. By storing solar energy as heat in sand, the technology ensures that warmth can continue to be delivered to households and critical infrastructure during outages or disturbances.
For us, it is not only about climate benefits but also about strengthening preparedness in the face of a more uncertain future. The sand battery can become an important piece of the puzzle in building a robust energy system where both households and society are better protected against new types of threats.
Provide stable heat during power outages and energy crises
Reduce reliance on backup solutions and external energy sources
Strengthen local resilience with heat storage near critical infrastructure
Protect systems against physical attacks, including drone strikes
Support decentralized energy supply and risk distribution
Reduce fuel use and logistics needs in crises, including military operations
Help consumers and organizations lower emissions
Reduce heating costs by at least 50%
Contribute to a positive climate transition
High energy storage capacity with low losses
Fast and energy-efficient charging
Optimized heat discharge for reliable supply
Scalable production to lower costs
The Sand Battery maximizes energy efficiency and cost savings, making it a smart and resilient investment for users.
© 2023 Grounded Heat AB. All rights reserved.
