A new way of converting solar power directly into stored energy has been pioneered by researchers in Sweden. Rather than targeting the disparity between supply and demand in a renewables-heavy grid, however, the devices that could stem from this technology are likely to focus on supplying clean power directly. Reaching the required scale, however, even for this, still looks distant. The new technology stems from the Molecular Solar Thermal Energy Storage (MOST) being developed by Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden. The closed-loop system is based around a molecule – a combination of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen – which changes shape when hit by sunlight to become an “energy-rich isomer.” This isomer can then be stored in liquid form, holding the…