Featured in the YouTube video "How a Sand Battery Could Revolutionize Home Energy Storage" of the channel Undecided with Matt Ferrell."

Netherlands-based Newton Energy Solutions (NES) have a very different kind of TES device to offer, though. They're keeping it simple with a no-frills design that falls somewhere between a TES, a water heater, and a buffer tank. Fun side-note: a water heater is already a thermal battery, technically speaking. It's just one that can't turn the heat back into electricity. But seeing as you're already spending most of your electricity on heat, that's not much of an issue. No surprise then that the NEStore looks and functions a lot like a water heater. In fact, if you don't have enough space for both, the NEStore can flat out replace your water heater.

The NEStore combines special vacuum insulation with thinner-than-average thank walls. Together, these two small advantages allow the NEStore to hold more water and much more heat than other devices in its weight class. The system is available in two sizes: the smaller one has water volumes of 214 liters and 20 kWh capacity. The larger one is 320 liters and a 29 kWh capacity. According to NES, even the smaller size can heat 600 liters of tap water to 40 C (104 F). That's a lot of showers! As a nice sustainability cherry on top, NES says their device is made from fully recyclable materials.

Their 'plug-n-play" tech is meant to replace existing water heaters and work with your PV systems. The company claims it can install a NEStore in your house in under two hours. Of course, we'll have to see what third-parties say once the NEStore is on the market.

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