University awarded cash to develop cutting edge energy storage technology

The University of Sheffield has secured £2.60m worth of Government cash to develop a prototype thermal energy storage system.

This is intended to enable optimised, flexible storage of heat within people’s homes, providing benefits for both the occupant and the grid. The prototype energy system will be manufactured by Loughborough University and deployed at the Creative Energy Homes campus at University of Nottingham.

Dr Rob Barthorpe, of University of Sheffield, said: “Our focus now is to make this happen. We intend to successfully demonstrate these technologies within lived-in homes, and to work with our industrial partners on scale up and commercialisation activities to bring them to market as soon as possible.

“We believe these technologies have the potential to play a significant role in maximising usage of renewable sources, and could provide real help to consumers during events such as the current energy crisis.”

The money for the university comprises its share of a total of £32.9m worth of government funding awarded to projects across the UK to develop new energy storage technologies, such as thermal batteries and liquid flow batteries.

Minister for Climate, Graham Stuart, explained: “Accelerating renewables is key to boosting our energy resilience. Energy storage helps us get the full benefit of these renewables, improving efficiency and helping drive down costs in the long term.

“This £32.9m Government backing will enable green innovators across the UK to develop this technology, helping create new jobs and encouraging private investment, while also safeguarding the UK’s energy security.”