Thermal Energy Storage (TES)
What is Thermal Energy Storage?
Thermal Energy Storage (TES) technologies temporarily store energy by heating storage mediums for later reuse. Sometimes called ‘heat batteries,’ TES technologies offer promising electrification strategies that work to decouple the immediate availability of thermal energy from the intermittency of renewable electricity and waste heat, helping to decarbonize industrial processes and buildings through their utility-scale grid storage capacities.
Already, RTC Solutions Providers have completed multiple agreements for deployments in industrial and institutional settings, including a cement plant, a major plastics company, and a college campus.
There are many forms of TES technologies, distinguished by the energy sources they draw from, storage mediums they use, and the chemical or physical processes they rely on. Most commonly, TES technologies store thermal energy without changing the state of matter of their storage medium, usually with processes like electrical resistance. Common storage mediums include water tanks, molten salt, and solid-state materials such as volcanic rock, minerals, and concrete. Other forms of TES technologies also draw on renewable electricity, but instead store heat by transforming the state of their medium’s of matter, utilizing chemical reactions, or manipulating physical properties of fluids.
TES technologies have a strong potential for cross-sectoral decarbonization, as they can provide high temperature industrial heat (above 1,000°C) at extremely high efficiencies over long durations of time by using common materials. The cost-effectiveness of TES technologies is expected to continue improving, with prices dropping by about 30% for industrial applications by 2030, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.
See RTC’s TES Resources, Case Studies, and Advocacy:
Thermal Energy Storage Projects Map
Many electrified TES projects have recently come online, successfully delivering heat to industrial end users worldwide. To showcase this momentum and help inform end users, utilities, policymakers, and other stakeholders, RTC developed an interactive map of industrial power-to-heat TES projects around the world.
The map is based on public data—we encourage interested stakeholders to see if their existing TES projects are represented in the Projects Map and contact Daniel Galis ([email protected]) with any edits or additional projects to include.
Commercializing Thermal Energy Storage Series: Lessons from Live Projects
Part I
On February 24, 2026, the Renewable Thermal Collaborative hosted a webinar showcasing successful use cases of thermal energy storage technology. From financial incentives to process integration, speakers explored their company’s path to commercial deployment and shared lessons learned from implementation. The insights can inform end users considering this technology for their own facilities as well as policymakers and others seeking to accelerate industrial decarbonization. Watch the recording here.
Part II
On July 7, 2026, the Renewable Thermal Collaborative hosted a webinar to demonstrate successful use cases of thermal energy storage technology in the U.S. and in Europe. From financial incentives to process integration, speakers from RTC Solutions Providers Antora Energy and Magaldi shared information about the path to commercial deployment, including through project case studies. The webinar aimed to better equip industrial end users considering thermal energy storage for their own facilities, as well as policymakers and power supply stakeholders seeking to cost-effectively decarbonize operations with thermal solutions. Watch the recording here.
Thermal Batteries: Opportunities to Accelerate Decabonization of Industrial Heating
The RTC assessed the potential of thermal energy storage technology to produce thermal energy for U.S. industry in our report Thermal Batteries: Opportunities to Accelerate Decarbonization of Industrial Heating, prepared by The Brattle Group. Based on modeling and interviews with industrial energy buyers and thermal battery developers, the report finds that electrified thermal batteries can be cost-competitive in much of the U.S. today, and that opportunity will likely grow along with the continued buildout of renewable electricity sources. The report makes recommendations for policymakers and electricity market operators to further unlock the technology by addressing regulatory barriers.
The RTC held a webinar to release the report on October 5, 2023, featuring a presentation from the report’s authors and reactions from energy buyers and Solutions Providers. Watch the webinar recording here.
Case Studies
Purchase College, State University of New York
The New York Power Authority (NYPA) collaborated with Brenmiller Energy to implement TES at Purchase College’s physical education building. Read the case study.
Herkkumaa Food Manufacturing Facility
Herkkumaa Oy, a Finnish food manufacturer, partnered with Elstor Oy to deploy a 10 MWh TES system to decarbonize its steam production. An Energy-as-a-Service model minimizes upfront costs and financial risks while stabilizing energy costs and enabling participation in grid demand response programs. Read the case study.
Advocacy on Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit
On December 15, 2023, the U.S. Treasury issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit for the domestic production of certain renewable energy equipment. Following advocacy by RTC and others, the proposed rules included thermal batteries as eligible property under the credit, underscoring the critical role of thermal energy storage in decarbonizing industrial heat as well as providing clarity and investment certainty to spur further innovation and deployment.
RTC submitted comments on the proposed rules supporting the inclusion of thermal batteries and advocating for the use of the widely recognized ASME PTC 53 standard for measuring the storage capacity of battery modules.
Webinar: Bringing the Heat for Net Zero Industry
On November 13, the RTC held a webinar with the Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Council, the Brattle Group, and Roland Berger to explore how innovations in thermal batteries will pave the road to industrial decarbonization. The webinar walked through findings from our recent report with the Brattle Group that thermal batteries can be cost-competitive decarbonization solutions in the U.S. today but that project viability hinges on how the industrial facility sources renewable electricity. The LDES Council also discussed a new report, created with Roland Berger, evaluating the global market for thermal energy storage and how it can contribute to eliminating emissions across key industrial sectors.
Webinar: Thermal Energy Storage: An Opportunity For Industrial Decarbonization
The RTC hosted a public webinar featuring our three Solutions Providers that provide standalone thermal energy storage: Rondo Energy, Antora Energy, and Brenmiller Energy. These solutions decouple the availability of heat generated from renewable electricity, solar thermal, and other heat sources (such as waste heat) from when end users need it, bringing the decarbonizing of industrial processes and buildings into reach. Participants came away with a better understanding of how these systems work, real-world applications from thermal storage companies, and what the RTC does to support this promising technology. The webinar supported the launch of our Thermal Storage Working Group, open to all our Members and Solutions Providers, which aims to deepen understanding of the technology and to develop a plan to address barriers to its deployment and scaling.
How to get involved:
All RTC work streams are developed in partnership with our Members and Solutions Providers. RTC regularly convenes technology- and policy-focused working groups to collaborate on our work streams. Existing Members and Solutions Providers can reach out to [email protected] to join the Thermal Energy Storage Working Group.
To join us in driving forward renewable thermal technologies, become a Member or Solutions Provider of RTC here.