Integrating EnergiVault cold thermal energy storage with solar PV for industrial applications
EnergiVault’s cold thermal energy storage technology provides an innovative solution for integrating solar photovoltaic (PV) systems into industrial applications, addressing energy intermittency and ensuring efficient, round-the-clock energy usage. By combining advanced thermal storage systems with renewable energy sources and chilled water systems, EnergiVault unlocks the potential for industries to achieve higher energy efficiency, cost savings, and sustainability.
Conventionally, lithium-ion batteries are installed to soak up excess generation, however, where facilities have centralised chillers supporting air conditioning or process cooling, Energivault offers a much more cost effective solution, in addition to enabling chiller optimisation, peak cooling capacity, and back-up cooling resilience.
There are a number of key benefits of this kind of technology integration:
Energy capture and storage: Solar PV systems often produce excess energy during peak sunlight hours. EnergiVault captures this surplus energy and stores it as cold thermal energy in a highly insulated, efficient cold storage medium. This enables the use of solar energy during dull or dark periods, such as evenings or cloudy days, effectively mitigating the intermittency issues associated with solar power and doing so more cost effectively than lithium-ion batteries.
On-demand energy supply: The stored thermal energy is used directly for industrial processes that require cooling, refrigeration, or low-temperature operations, supporting existing chilled water circuits. This flexibility ensures that energy is available precisely when needed, reducing reliance on grid electricity and fossil fuels. This application of Energivault highlights where storing cold thermal energy delivers major benefits over an electrical battery plus chiller. Energivault provides seamless cooling support, no high inrush currents to start up chillers, no over sizing battery inverters for direct chillers, but low power input high cooling power output.
Peak shaving and load balancing: EnergiVault enables industries to draw on stored energy during peak demand periods when grid electricity is more expensive, or chillers lack capacity such as in high summer ambient temperatures. By levelling energy consumption and avoiding costly demand spikes, businesses can flatten their demand curve, alleviating capacity constraints whilst achieving significant cost savings and demand response value.
Efficiency and Environmental Impact
EnergiVault is designed to operate with minimal energy losses, ensuring high system turnaround efficiency. By leveraging the abundant and renewable energy generated by solar PV, the system helps industries reduce their carbon footprint. Additionally, the technology supports the global transition to net-zero energy systems by enabling greater adoption of renewable energy in sectors traditionally reliant on non-renewable sources.
Industrial Applications
Refrigeration and cold storage: For industries like food processing, pharmaceuticals, and data centres, where temperature control is critical, EnergiVault seamlessly integrates with solar PV and centralised chillers to maintain stable cooling, even during power outages or off-peak solar production hours.
Manufacturing processes: Many industrial processes require consistent energy inputs, which solar PV alone cannot provide due to its variability. EnergiVault bridges this gap by ensuring continuous cold energy supply, boosting chiller and operational efficiency.
Energy-intensive operations Industries with high energy demands during daylight hours can use solar PV for real-time operations and store excess energy for chilled water applications during off-hours, optimising energy usage and reducing overall costs.
Integrating EnergiVault cold thermal energy storage technology with solar PV installations is a game-changing approach for industrial energy management where cooling is a major part of the load. By maximising renewable energy usage, providing reliable energy storage, and delivering cost savings, the solution addresses key challenges in the transition to sustainable industrial operations. With its adaptability across various industries, EnergiVault empowers businesses to achieve energy resilience and align with global sustainability goals.
