SandVault

Inquérito ao Consumo de Energia no Sector Doméstico - Edição 2021
Inquérito ao Consumo de Energia no Sector Doméstico - Edição 2021
Inquérito ao Consumo de Energia no Sector Doméstico - Edição 2021
Inquérito ao Consumo de Energia no Sector Doméstico - Edição 2021
Inquérito ao Consumo de Energia no Sector Doméstico - Edição 2021

Inspiration

We are living through an energy paradox: we have more renewable energy than ever, but we are still burning gas to stay warm. Solar panels peak at noon when demand is low, often forcing us to export clean energy to the grid for pennies. Conversely, heating demand peaks at night when the sun is down. We asked ourselves: Why are we buying expensive fossil fuels at night when we practically gave away our solar surplus during the day? Inspired by the massive industrial sand batteries in Finland, we wanted to democratize this technology. We wanted to shrink it, make it smart, and bring it into the urban environment. SandVault was born from the desire to turn ordinary sand into a high-efficiency thermal battery, closing the gap between intermittent renewables and 24/7 comfort.

What it does

SandVault acts as a thermal battery for residential buildings. It captures surplus electricity—whether from solar panels or off-peak grid periods—and converts it into heat stored within a high-temperature sand core. When needed, the system transfers this stored energy to the building’s water circuit, providing domestic hot water and central heating on demand, 24/7, regardless of weather or time of day.