MiniStor presented its research results and policy recommendations for sustainable thermal energy storage with an ambitious agenda of activities in Brussels. The final event was held under the umbrella of the EUSEW, attracting close to 150 people in a hybrid format.
MiniStor project was accompanied by relevant initiatives in Renewable Heating and Cooling, the built environment, and energy value chains, as well as expert panellists and external consultants, with 11 countries represented. A recording of all the interventions is available in the project channels.
The programme was initiated as an Energy Day supported by the EUSEW, dedicated to the conference ‘Reaching the decarbonisation goal’ on June 9th, and continuing with the policy recommendations and panel discussions on the 10th. As the EUSEW conference was in full spring, MiniStor moved to the Energy Fair for June 11th and 12th, hosting Stand C5 in the Charlemagne Building of the European Commission alongside projects Maxima and SteamDry, under the title ‘Powering a Green Europe: EU Projects in action’. This was most relevant given that MiniStor has reached its goal of Technological Readiness Level 7, with prototypes demonstrated in an operational environment before market access. In that sense, MiniStor has advocated for new and more suitable standards for thermal energy storage in residential use, supporting adequate performance certificates as well as improved regulations for the installation, maintenance, and recycling of the system. In particular, the project made recommendations to provide a framework for its main technological driver, the use of ammonia as an energy carrier.
After a 68-month effort funded via the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, MiniStor realised the concept envisioned by CNRS-Promes and CERTH-CPERI of a high-density thermal energy storage capable of providing heating, cooling, and electricity in multiple climate conditions and home configurations. MiniStor is a fusion of novel technologies: an efficient thermochemical storage based on calcium chloride and ammonia salts, a phase-change material that stores latent heat, unique hybrid photovoltaic thermal solar collectors, and a smart digital tool assisted by an Internet of Things platform to handle the operation and assist the user in long-term decisions. It is a human-centric system that can operate autonomously year-round- a smart solution to ensure comfort while storing thermal energy and electricity when they are abundant and releasing them when in short supply. Its capacity and reliability increase the use of renewable energy sources, moving Europe closer to a decarbonised residential sector.
