InteliSpark client, Active Energy Systems, Inc., wins a grant from the National Science Foundation via the SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) program. Dr. Levon Atoyan, Co-Founder and CEO of Active Energy Systems, will lead this Phase II project to develop low-cost, high efficiency, resilient, ice thermal energy storage technology for commercial building air conditioning.
Conventional ice storage systems, such as the Ice-on-Coil (IOC) technology, is costly, energy intensive, and takes up significant space, which in turn, prevents widespread adoption in commercial markets. Active Energy System’s proposed Icephobic Heat Exchange (IHEX) technology overcomes the challenges of conventional ice storage systems where freezing water adheres to cold surfaces and ice builds up on the coil. This makes their technology more energy efficient, strengthens cooling resiliency, lowers cooling costs for building owners, and reduces carbon emissions, thereby potentially opening up markets for ice thermal energy storage. Researchers estimate a 20% improvement in energy efficiency and a 67% reduction in total costs compared to conventional cooling systems.
This practical and sustainable cooling technology not only addresses the need for innovation in ice energy storage today, but may play a important role in the future when the energy demand for air conditioning is expected to significantly increase.