The University of Edinburgh School of Chemistry & Sunamp Ltd
Winner: 2022 Industry-Academia Collaboration Award
For the creation of a successful partnership that has led to the development and commercialisation of heat-storage technology using novel formulations of phase-change materials.
Celebrate The University of Edinburgh School of Chemistry & Sunamp Ltd
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This research is the core of potentially every household's thermal requirement across the world.
This successful collaboration has enabled Sunamp Ltd to bring to market the world’s first commercially viable residential heat batteries, which efficiently store and reproducibly release heat on demand. The core component of heat-battery technology is a phase-change material (PCM) that absorbs heat on melting and releases it on freezing. Collaborative research has succeeded in overcoming two of the main problems associated with many PCMs: sub-cooling and phase separation, both of which prevent long-term, reproducible thermal cycling. This has resulted in the development of new PCM formulations that have set the international standard for cycling stability and allowed Sunamp to develop world-leading heat batteries.
Sunamp heat batteries provide highly efficient heat storage and enable increased use of locally generated renewable energy and off-peak electricity, thereby reducing use of conventional fossil energy sources and carbon emissions. In homes previously struggling with inefficient heating, heat batteries deliver a steady supply of heat charged almost entirely with off-peak electricity. This results in reduced energy usage and lower bills, thereby providing a means of combating fuel poverty.