Thermal Battery, What?
It is more than a tank. Working fluid, innovative design, superior performance, unmatched durability.The Best thermal battery in the world
– Design and material advantages
– Performance advantage
– Variability
Reimagine your Energy Systems
– Unlock the full power of your HP
– Replace overly complex designs
– Avoid the weaknesses of traditional components (corrosion, short life cycles)
What is a Thermal Battery?
A Thermal Battery is far more than a conventional storage tank—it’s a dynamic energy storage system engineered to capture, retain, and deliver thermal energy with exceptional efficiency and reliability. By storing heat generated from renewable sources like solar energy or waste heat and recovery systems, thermal batteries provide a sustainable solution for heating water, buildings, or industrial processes, decoupling energy production from demand. Read more about the key features that make thermal batteries a game-changer in energy storage.
More Than a Tank
Unlike traditional water tanks that passively hold heat, a thermal battery is an integrated system designed for active energy management:
Smart Integration: Thermal batteries seamlessly connect with renewable energy systems, such as PowerPanel’s hybrid PVT panels, which capture 84% of solar energy (23% as electricity, ~61% as thermal energy) or an efficient heat pump. This ensures maximum utilization of available energy.
Versatile Applications: Beyond hot water, thermal batteries support space heating, industrial processes (e.g., steam generation), or even cooling via absorption chillers, making them ideal for commercial and industrial settings.
Energy Resilience: By storing thermal energy for hours, days, or months, thermal batteries provide a reliable energy supply during periods of low renewable input (e.g., nighttime or cloudy days), reducing reliance on fossil fuels or grid electricity.
Advanced Working Fluid
The working fluid in a thermal battery is critical to its performance, chosen for its ability to efficiently absorb, transfer, and store heat:
High Heat Capacity
Common fluids include water (cost-effective for low/medium temperatures, up to 200°F), molten salts (for high temperatures, 400–565°C in concentrated solar power), or advanced fluids like thermal oils. For example, PowerPanel’s systems use water as the primary fluid, heated by PVT panels to 100–120°F.
Optimized Circulation
The fluid is circulated through heat exchangers to capture heat from sources like solar collectors or heat pumps and transfer it to storage or end-use applications, minimizing energy loss.
Customizable Fluids
Innovative designs allow for phase-change materials (PCMs) or other advanced fluids that store additional energy through latent heat, enhancing storage density and efficiency for compact systems.
Innovative Design
Superior Insulation
Inspired by solutions like PowerPanel’s Gen₂O Thermal Storage Tank, thermal batteries use advanced materials such as expanded polypropylene foam (EPP) with 4-inch walls, achieving minimal heat loss (~3.6°F over 24 hours). This ensures stored energy remains available for extended periods.
Modular and Lightweight
Unlike heavy steel tanks, modern thermal batteries are lightweight (e.g., EPP-based designs) and modular, allowing easy installation on rooftops or in constrained spaces, as seen in PowerPanel’s systems for hotels or hospitals.
Thermocline or Multi-Tank Systems
Innovative designs include single-tank thermocline systems (using a temperature gradient to separate hot and cold fluid) or dual-tank setups, optimizing storage capacity and reducing costs.
Recyclable Materials
PowerPanel’s EPP-based tanks are recyclable, corrosion-resistant, and environmentally friendly, aligning with sustainable energy goals.
Daisy-Chained for Quick and Easy Expansion
PowerPanel’s Gen₂O Thermal Storage Tanks, a cornerstone of their thermal battery systems, are designed to be daisy-chained, enabling rapid and flexible expansion to meet varying energy demands:
Scalable Capacity: Multiple tanks can be connected in series or parallel, allowing users to increase storage capacity without replacing existing infrastructure. This is ideal for growing facilities like hotels, hospitals, or industrial plants.
Simplified Installation: The lightweight EPP construction and modular design make it easy to add tanks, requiring minimal reconfiguration of plumbing or controls. This reduces installation time and costs compared to traditional steel tanks.
Customizable Configurations: Daisy-chaining supports tailored solutions, such as combining tanks for higher hot water demand or integrating with heat pumps and PVT panels for enhanced efficiency. For example, a commercial site can add tanks to store more solar thermal energy as demand grows.
Seamless Integration: The tanks’ design ensures consistent thermal performance across the chain, maintaining low heat loss (~3.6°F/day) and compatibility with PowerPanel’s PVT systems, enabling efficient energy management at any scale.
A thermal battery is a revolutionary energy storage solution that transcends the limitations of traditional tanks. With advanced working fluids, innovative designs, superior performance, and unmatched durability, it maximizes the potential of renewable energy sources like solar power. When integrated with systems like PowerPanel’s PVT panels and Gen₂O tanks, thermal batteries deliver efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable energy storage, driving decarbonization and energy resilience across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors.
Superior Performance
Thermal batteries outperform traditional storage solutions through enhanced efficiency and reliability:
High Energy Retention: Advanced insulation and design minimize heat loss, enabling storage durations from hours to months, far surpassing conventional tanks.
Enhanced System Efficiency: When paired with PowerPanel’s PVT panels, thermal batteries store solar thermal energy (12.7 kW thermal output per array), reducing the workload on heat pumps and boosting their coefficient of performance (COP) to 3.5–4, compared to 2.5 for standalone systems.
Cost Savings: By storing “free” solar or waste heat, thermal batteries lower operational costs significantly. For example, PowerPanel’s systems reduce water heating costs from 42 cents/kWh to ~6 cents/kWh, as demonstrated in a St. Thomas resort, saving ~$9,000 annually.
Scalability: Thermal batteries support diverse scales, from residential hot water systems to large industrial applications, ensuring flexibility and performance.
Unmatched Durability
Built to withstand demanding conditions, thermal batteries offer long-term reliability:
Corrosion Resistance
Materials like EPP (used in PowerPanel’s Gen₂O tanks) resist corrosion, unlike steel tanks, ensuring a lifespan of decades with minimal maintenance.
Robust Construction
Designed for extreme temperatures (e.g., -25°F to 200°F in PowerPanel’s tanks), thermal batteries maintain structural integrity under thermal cycling and environmental stress.
Low Maintenance
The absence of moving parts in the storage component and the use of durable, recyclable materials reduce maintenance costs and downtime, ensuring consistent performance.
Proven Reliability
PowerPanel’s installations, such as those in commercial settings, demonstrate durability in real-world applications, with rapid return on investment (~2 years).
The best Thermal Battery in the World
PowerPanel’s Gen₂O Thermal Storage Tank is the world’s best thermal battery
Unlock the Full Power of Your Heat Pump
PowerPanel’s Gen₂O thermal battery maximizes the efficiency of your heat pump (HP) by leveraging stored thermal energy