Accelerating the adoption of early energy storage technologies for buildings
The Thermal Energy Storage Group conducts research on the development, demonstration and deployment of cost-effective, integrated energy storage technologies for building applications. Research focuses on new materials, such as anisotropic and phase change, that can be transactively controlled and integrated within existing advanced building equipment and envelope systems.
Cost-effective energy storage is necessary for the large-scale deployment of renewable electricity, electrification and decarbonization — and essential for meeting clean energy goals. Currently, as much as 50% of electricity consumed by buildings in the United States goes toward meeting thermal loads. Thermal energy storage, or TES, shows promise as a cost-effective energy storage alternative. TES refers to energy that can be stored in a material as a heat source or a cold sink, rather than as electrical energy, and reserved for use at a different time. These solutions can increase load flexibility, promote the use of renewable energy sources and allow heat pumps to function more effectively and in more extreme climates.