Compact Thermal Energy Storage Technologies: Status, Applications and Developments

More than half of the primary energy consumption is for the generation of heat. Thermal energy storage is of key importance for energy reduction technologies and for increasing the share of renewables in the thermal energy consumption.

In many application areas, like for instance in solar thermal systems for the existing building stock, the volume available for large capacity heat stores is limited. Systems with high renewable yield are only possible when compact heat storage technologies are developed. These storage technologies typically are several times more compact than a thermal storage using water.

An overview will be given of three classes of compact thermal energy storage: phase change material, sorption and thermochemical storage. The principles of the technologies will be explained, examples of their applications will be given and the research and development challenges described that are needed for their respective routes to the markets.

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