The increasing reliance on renewable energy sources necessitates effective energy storage solutions due to the intermittent nature of the renewable energy supply. This research investigates the potential of using sand as a medium for low-to-medium temperature sensible heat energy storage. Sand samples were collected from different areas in the UAE (desert, beach and mountain) to measure their thermophysical properties, and a storage tank was constructed for experimental evaluation. To improve the thermal conductivity of the sand, small copper pieces and shavings from material waste were incorporated at different ratios. Tests on these modified sands showed increased thermal conductivity, especially with the addition of shavings, though there was a reduction in specific heat capacity. The study tested the ability of desert sand to retain heat using a helical coil heat exchanger. The experiment consisted of a 4-hour heating phase followed by a 12.5-hour storage phase, conducted across three scenarios: pure sand, sand with large copper shavings, and sand with small copper pieces. Temperature distribution analyses indicated that sand mixed with copper achieved faster heat transfer rates than pure sand. However, the pure sand setup maintained heat more efficiently, retaining a larger quantity of heat over time