Heat storing and heat transfer systems

A heat storage and transfer system that comprises:

• a primary heat storage chamber or body that is thermally insulated and which in use contains or comprises:
• a heat storing liquid or solid;
• and
• a thermal energy to electrical energy converter in or thermally coupled to at least one of:
• i) a secondary chamber external to and adjacent the primary heat storage chamber or body through which a liquid or steam to be heated is passed in use;
• and
• ii) a thermal conduction plate/surface external to the thermally insulated primary heat storage chamber or body;
• the system having a heat transfer feature to selectively transfer thermal energy from the heat storing liquid or solid of the primary heating chamber or body to the thermal conduction plate or the liquid or steam to be heated in the secondary chamber for the thermal energy to thence be converted to electrical energy by the thermal energy to electrical energy converter, wherein the secondary chamber is a conduit through which the liquid to be heated is able to flow and wherein the primary heat storage chamber is thermally insulated and substantially shielded by a thermal barrier from conductive direct heat transfer relationship with the secondary chamber and the thermal barrier comprises a vacuum gap/chamber/moveable shield, and wherein the heat transfer feature comprises a mechanism that moves a surface on the primary heat chamber or body and a surface on the secondary chamber relative to each other to move together to be substantially contacting each other for thermal energy transfer or to move apart.