How thermal batteries are heating up energy storage

Electrified Thermal Solutions is building thermal batteries that use thermally conductive bricks as both a heating element and a storage medium. Running an electrical current through the bricks generates heat, without the need for any separate component. Antora Power similarly uses its carbon-based blocks to both generate and store heat. The company is also aiming to turn that heat back into electricity using thermophotovoltaic technology. 

While many companies want to install their storage solutions in industrial facilities, delivering heat, electricity, or both, some are aiming to offer grid-based energy storage to utilities. Malta, which spun out from X (formerly Google X) in 2018, is building technology that will take in electricity, store the energy as heat in a molten-salt system, and then re-generate electricity for use on the grid. 

Brenmiller Energy is among the most experienced players in thermal energy storage. The company, founded in 2011, makes modular systems that use crushed rocks to store heat. Its technology is currently operating at several facilities, including a beverage maker and a hospital.

To make a dent in industrial emissions, companies building thermal energy storage systems need to scale quickly. They’ll also need to convince customers to sign on for a new method of generating heat, a potentially difficult task in industries that can be conservative, says Doron Brenmiller, the company’s chief business officer.With industrial heat demand expected to continue growing this decade, there’s an urgent need to find cleaner options. Thermal batteries could be a key strategy for keeping factories running as efforts to cut their emissions warm up.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the location of Rondo Energy’s factory. It is located in Thailand.