# Sensible heat storage

Storing heat by warming a material: water, molten salt, sand, rock, bricks or underground stores.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_sensible_heat/

Storage · Thermal · No. 83

- Storage
- Duration: Hours to seasons
 Storage · Thermal · Foundation · Energy

A Finnish town heats its homes from a 100 MWh pile of hot soapstone, letting it stop burning oil entirely.

Chart: Illustration: Sensible heat storage

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Electricity heats a cheap material such as water, sand, rock or brick; Antora has demonstrated stores above 1,800 C.

##### Three things to know

1. Water stores about 70 kWh per tonne over a 60 C swing (calculated), using a material costing about USD 0.005 per kg.
2. Heat in, heat out is very efficient, but turning stored rock heat back into electricity manages only about 25% today.
3. At least six European countries had over 500 hours of negative power prices in 2025, free fuel for heat stores.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Cheap power**Charged in the cheapest or negative-price hours
2. 2 **Heaters**Resistive elements warm the material
3. 3 **Store**Water, sand, rock, brick or molten salt
4. 4 **Insulation**Keeps heat for hours to seasons
5. 5 **Heat out**Hot water, steam or industrial process heat
 Covered in [Storing energy: from fuel stocks to batteriesEnergy](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/energy/storing-energy/)

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## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_sensible_heat/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_sensible_heat/correlation/index.md)
- [Science and technology](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_sensible_heat/sg-sci/index.md)
- [Engineering and performance](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_sensible_heat/sg-eng/index.md)
- [Economics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_sensible_heat/sg-econ/index.md)
- [Impact and additionality](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_sensible_heat/sg-impact/index.md)
- [What to track](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_sensible_heat/tracking/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_sensible_heat/links/index.md)