Future Perfect: Energy Storing Bricks

Red bricks are a common building material used in many structures and researchers at Washington University have found a way to turn them into supercapacitors. 

By adding a conductive coating that reacts with the iron oxide (which gives brick its red color), they can be converted into an energy storage device, or “smart brick”. According to researchers 50 bricks connected with solar panels could provide emergency lighting for up to 5 hours. A single brick would have more energy than one AA battery and cost only $2 or $3. Not to mention, the bricks could be charged thousands of times without even losing 10% of their storage capacity. 

Currently renewable energy is stored in chemical batteries such as lithium-ion and nickel-cadmium. However, as the proof of concept shows, one day the walls of a home may be used to store that energy. 

About Future Perfect

The Future Perfect series highlights inventions and innovations that will shape our future and help build a better world. Faster.

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About Turnkey Future Corporation

Turnkey Future?, a global, large-scale construction company, was founded by Morgan Reynolds, creator of the Turnkey Hospital? - a fully-equipped, state-of-the-art, permanent facility that can be up and running in 90 days or less.

Turnkey major construction projects quickly expanded to other far-reaching industries.

Turnkey Future Corporation's Divisions

Healthcare; Residential; Energy; Education; Data Hubs; Office & Entertainment Complexes; Government & Corporate Buildings; Infrastructure and Funding.