What is BORÉALES Energy’s Innovative Thermal Storage Project?
Founded in 2015 and based in Douvres-la-Délivrande, Normandy, BORÉALES Energy is all about shaking up how energy is stored and used—especially when it comes to cooling. Their focus? Tackling the refrigeration sector’s unique challenges with smart, efficient solutions that revolve around ice accumulation. Imagine a system that stores cold energy just like a water heater stores hot water, but flipped on its head. That’s exactly what BORÉALES has developed: a cutting-edge thermal storage technology that uses the natural phase change of water to ice to store and release energy on demand. It’s a fresh take on energy storage that’s versatile, modular, and designed to help the world transition to cleaner, more efficient cooling.
Main Benefits of BORÉALES Energy’s Thermal Storage Technology
Why does this matter? Well, cooling accounts for over 20% of total energy consumption worldwide, and demand is only growing. BORÉALES Energy’s solution offers some pretty impressive advantages:
- Each Static Thermal Accumulator (ATS) stores up to 13 kWh of energy with a tiny 2°C temperature difference, delivering chilled water instantly.
- Scalable design: stack multiple ATS units in parallel to meet any cooling demand—from 13 kWh with one unit to 1 MWh with 78 units.
- Improves refrigeration cycle efficiency and boosts cooling capacity.
- Stabilizes systems even during heatwaves or critical operating conditions.
- Enables off-peak energy use by producing ice when electricity demand is low and using it during peak hours, reducing overall electrical load.
Addressing the Cooling Sector’s Energy Challenges
Cooling is everywhere—from keeping your food fresh to air conditioning in homes and offices, and even in industrial processes. But it’s energy-intensive and often overlooked in decarbonization efforts. BORÉALES Energy is changing that by offering an alternative to the usual electrochemical storage devices. Their thermal storage system is not just efficient but also sustainable, leveraging the latent heat of ice to store cold energy. This approach helps optimize energy use, cut costs, and reduce carbon footprints in a sector that’s growing fast and needs smart solutions.
How BORÉALES Energy’s Technology Works
The heart of their innovation is the Static Thermal Accumulator (ATS). Think of it like a cold cumulus water heater—but instead of storing hot water, it produces and stores ice using electrical energy. When cooling is needed, the stored ice melts, releasing chilled water instantly. This process is highly efficient thanks to the natural properties of water’s phase change. Plus, the ATS is flexible and modular, so it can be tailored to different power and storage needs by simply stacking more units. It’s a neat, scalable system designed from design to industrialization by a passionate team of engineers and technicians.
Applications in Real-World Scenarios
One standout use case is in dairy farming, where cooling milk right after milking is critical to maintaining quality. This step, however, comes with big energy and economic costs. BORÉALES Energy’s ice accumulation storage solutions help dairy farmers by linking renewable energy sources with improved energy performance. Beyond agriculture, their technology supports air conditioning by shifting energy use to off-peak times, easing electrical grid loads during peak hours. The STEMS project takes this further—offering modular, static thermodynamic electricity storage that can be remotely activated to support electrical distribution networks in real time.
Project Impact on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy – Promotes efficient energy storage and use.
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure – Advances innovative thermal storage technology.
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities – Supports energy-efficient cooling solutions.
- SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production – Encourages optimization of energy resources.
- SDG 13: Climate Action – Contributes to decarbonization and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Thermal Energy Storage
BORÉALES Energy’s approach highlights how thermal storage can complement and sometimes even outperform traditional electrochemical batteries, especially in cooling applications. As demand for sustainable energy solutions grows, their technology offers a promising path to smarter, greener refrigeration and air conditioning. With projects like STEMS on the horizon, the future looks bright—and cool—for energy storage that’s efficient, flexible, and ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow’s energy landscape.
