Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Thesis
  • Published:

Carnot batteries for dispatchable renewables

Global energy consumption is rising rapidly; however, fossil fuel use is anticipated to peak soon owing to the widespread adoption of renewable energy sources. Bruce Gibb explores the pivotal role chemists can play in developing alternative technologies within the renewable energy sector, with a particular focus on thermal energy storage.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: A simplified scheme of a Carnot battery.

References

  1. World Energy Outlook 2023 (International Energy Authority, 2023).

  2. Gardner, H. Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences (Basic Books, 2011).

  3. Sadiku, M. N. O & Musa, S. M. A Primer on Multiple Intelligences (Springer Nature, 2021).

  4. Kahneman, D. Thinking, Fast and Slow (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011).

  5. Brøndsted, P., Lilholt, H. & Lystrup, A. Annu. Rev. Mater. Res. 35, 505–538 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Veers, P. S. Wind Energy 6, 245–259 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Bauer, T., Steinmann, W.-D., Laing, D. & Tamme, R. Annu. Rev. Heat Transfer 15, 131–177 (2012).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Sharma, A., Tyagi, V. V., Chen, C. R. & Buddhi, D. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 13, 318–345 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Pielichowska, K. & Pielichowski, K. Prog. Mater. Sci. 65, 67–123 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Pardo, P. et al. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 32, 591–610 (2014).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. N’Tsoukpoe, K. E., Liu, H., Le Pierrès, N. & Luo, L. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 13, 2385–2396 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Mansø, M. et al. Nat. Commun. 9, 1945 (2018).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bruce C. Gibb.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The author declares no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gibb, B.C. Carnot batteries for dispatchable renewables. Nat. Chem. 17, 629–631 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-025-01813-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-025-01813-z

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing