'Thermal battery' for buildings offers 223% boost in energy storage

Researchers at Yonsei University have developed a novel thermal storage material called EMBC16, a composite "thermal sponge" that significantly enhances energy storage and cooling efficiency in buildings. This material captures excess heat during the day and releases it as temperatures drop, reducing annual cooling energy consumption by 54% and overall cooling demand by 24.3%. EMBC16 stores 121.3 joules per gram, marking a 223% increase in energy capacity over traditional clay composites, and improves thermal conductivity by 78%. It also demonstrated excellent durability, maintaining over 95.9% of its capacity after 1,000 heating and cooling cycles with minimal leakage, indicating strong potential for long-term real-world application. The innovation lies in the "biomineral" framework combining biochar derived from spruce wood waste with montmorillonite clay treated to create a porous 3D network infused with hexadecane, a wax-like paraffin serving as the active phase change material. Unlike conventional phase change