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Re:Malta – Alphabet X’s latest grid-scale energy storage tec... by ams6110 on Tuesday August 01, 2017 @09:49PM (#14907241)
Naive question maybe but why not use steam instead of salt? Well insulated pressure tank can hold a lot of steam, heat capacity is good, it's non-toxic, and it is ideal for driving turbines.

Focused sunlight is certainly capable of boiling water.

Re:Malta – Alphabet X’s latest grid-scale energy storage tec... by pjc50 on Wednesday August 02, 2017 @06:21AM (#14909378)
Requires pressure vessels and has low heat capacity per unit volume.