Solar panels can catch sunlight, but they can’t store it. This will fix the problem.

Sometimes to take a step forward, you have to go back and revisit the past. A team of chemists at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri went down to their local Home Depot and purchased a few bricks for 65 cents apiece in 2020. Then they started working their wizardry and alchemy to turn those bricks into supercapacitors, or a high-energy storage unit. It didn’t take long before they invented a way to make bricks smarter.

In August of the same year, they published the proof-of-concept for the experiment that showed that a single of their bricks could power an LED light. Now, that may not seem like too much, but that’s only one brick. Imagine a whole house of these crimson bricks fitted with a shiny solar panel or solar shingle roof. You’d be the envy of the block for the aesthetic of your home, let alone the cut in energy costs. Of course, no amount of innovation is without cost, but I think returning to brick is better than having that old and moldy siding.

I’m no chemist, so their process is lost on me, but I have the impression that it’s relatively cost-effective. The iron oxide, or rust, is essential for the magic to transform the bricks into supercapacitors. Since they use a polymer called “PEDOT” to coat the bricks, even recycled bricks can be used, which takes the efficiency one step further. For our own progress, we should seek to be as efficient and sustainable as possible.

I believe the future could be made of brick. Could there be a possibility that these bricks could go past the home and make sidewalks and streets with some kind of solar tree every few feet to take in the sun and store it for the city? I don’t know, but it sounds like a future I wouldn’t mind walking through. I’m not sure some people are ready to embrace change, though.

The arguments for solar power are usually centered on the sun not always being available or the well-known fact that nighttime is a thing. These smart bricks would be able to shut those arguments down by storing energy even on a cloudy day. I’m not sure if they’ll make a household completely cut out energy costs, but at least we won’t see three digits on our electricity bill anymore.

The trades would have to make a change, too. The bricklayers may have to learn how to develop, or at least apply, PEDOT to bricks before building. I’m not even sure what would happen to the manufacturers of vinyl siding. It would be nice if there was some incentive for them to switch to the brick laying business, maybe free training.

All of this is just a thought experiment for now since the smart bricks haven’t even hit the market. I think it’s worthwhile to keep an eye on technology like this. It could be that before long, the difference between a construction company that succeeds and one that doesn’t is based on these bricks. One thing is for sure, this is a possible solution to energy needs that we shouldn’t ignore.

We continue to adapt the world to our increasing needs with technology, but when will we reach a point where our demands exceed our supply? If these smart bricks become commercial, which may take another decade or more, I think we’ll be better off than not. We’ve been using bricks for thousands of years, so maybe we should take a step back and use them for a thousand more.

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