The La-Flex project will further develop latent thermal energy storage (LTES) to make heating and cooling systems more energy flexible. Energy flexibility is the ability of the energy system to receive and deliver energy as it is produced and consumed. Fossil fuels and hydropower are flexible energy sources, because they can produce energy when there is a need for energy. Solar and wind power, on the other hand, are not flexible energy sources. As the world moves away from fossil fuels to solar and wind power, we will lose this energy flexibility, and there will be an increasing need for energy storage.
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Thermal energy storage is important because thermal energy consumption accounts for 50% of global energy consumption. LTES is based on phase change materials (PCMs) that store energy in a phase transition and can store heat or cold with high energy density and in a narrow temperature range. This technology can be used to store cold in industrial freezing processes, heat for heating office buildings, or store and utilize excess heat in data centers.
La-Flex's main goal is to improve the monitoring and control of LTES. This is to be able to exploit flexibility, and to be able to operate in reserve markets. This will be done by developing real-time state of charge measurement and precise thermal power control, which will make LTES easier to integrate into control systems for optimal energy management.
The project is led by SINTEF Energy Research and brings together research and industry partners from Norway, Denmark and Germany, including the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), the Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (THWS), as well as Cartesian, AInergy and KLP Eiendom.
The project's advanced state of charge measurement and thermal power controller will facilitate LTES in power flexibility and reserve markets, improve system performance and promote grid stability in the face of variable energy supply from renewable sources.
La-Flex will contribute to a robust and emission-free future. By reducing the load on the power grid, promoting the integration of renewable energy and the utilization of surplus heat, La-Flex will become an important player in the global energy transition towards flexible, reliable and sustainable energy solutions by 2050.
