MANY MINDEDIndustrial heat storage breakthrough
Electrified Thermal Solutions has developed firebrick-based thermal batteries designed to store low-cost renewable electricity as industrial heat. Their Joule Hive Thermal Battery (E-brick) operates between 200°C and 1,800°C, achieving 98% or higher conversion and storage efficiency across electrical systems from 480 V to 100 kV. The technology recently completed a 20 MWh commercial-scale deployment at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas, following a 2022 founding and $24.3 million in funding. This system aims to displace natural gas in industrial processes where the delivered price exceeds €30 ($34.8)/MWh in subsidy-free markets.
The E-brick’s value lies in its ability to store renewable electricity as high-temperature heat for energy-intensive industrial applications—like manufacturing or chemical processing—without requiring complex grid infrastructure. By converting electricity to thermal energy during off-peak renewable generation, it enables industries to access cheap solar and wind power when it’s abundant, avoiding costly gas purchases during price spikes.
This directly lowers industrial energy costs for sectors where renewable electricity is cheaper than natural gas. When natural gas prices reach €30/MWh without subsidies, the system can shift operations to stored renewable heat, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and stabilizing energy costs for industries. The next critical step is verifying performance against specific industrial use cases, as the current efficiency claims depend on real-world conditions. A reported date of August 31, 2026, likely contains a typographical error in the source material.
Source: pv magazine