Overview

Task 42 is a joint Task with the IEA Energy Conservation through Energy Storage (ECES) Programme Task 24.

Thermal energy storage is an important technology for renewable energy systems and energy efficiency. By improving the effectiveness of thermal storage, the effectiveness of all renewable energy technologies that supply heat can be improved.

Particularly for solar thermal systems, thermal energy storage is essential. To reach high solar fractions, it is necessary to store heat (or cold) efficiently for longer periods of time. Until now, no cost-effective compact storage technologies are available to do this. For high solar fraction systems, hot water stores are expensive and require very large volumes of space. Alternative storage technologies, such as phase change materials (PCMs) and thermochemical materials (TCMs) are available on a laboratory scale. However, more research and development is needed before these technologies can be developed into commercial solutions.

In several IEA Annexes , it was concluded that materials are the main bottleneck for finding effective solutions for compact thermal energy storage, and that there is a need for new storage materials with a higher specific energy storage density and lower material cost.
Around the world, several groups are working on either thermal energy storage materials or applications. However, these activities are not sufficiently linked. The current activities are either limited to specific applications, or to specific materials. What is needed, and what can be provided by this task, is a way to bring the ongoing work on materials and applications together.

The Task 42/24 started officially January 1, 2009. The planned end date is December 31, 2012. In 2009, the thermal energy storage experts contributing to the Task met 2 times. the first expert meeting was in February in Bad Tolz, Germany. The second meeting was in September in Lleida, Spain. In both meetings, more than 65 experts shared information about their heat storage projects and discussed about the goals, activities and deliverables of the Task.

If you need more information or if you have other questions about Task4224, please contact one of the Operating Agents.