Storage systems for solar energy suitable for agriculture. Part one: thermal energy

The solar energy reaching our planet is much greater than our civilisation needs. The main obstacle on the way to its wider use is high variability. This fact determines the need to provide a way to store the energy for the time when the Sun is not shining over particular region or the radiation is not sufficient. The paper presents various ways to accumulate the energy in the thermal form: sensible and latent heat, chemical/sorption, which are suitable for use in agriculture or rural areas. Along with the basic presentation, the most recent developments in each area are presented.