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New Framework Could Speed Up Thermal Storage Design and Reduce Time to Market

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CEEE graduate research assistant Mylena Menezes and her colleagues developed a method that significantly speeds up the evaluation and assessment of latent heat thermal energy storage systems – like this one that was tested in CEEE’s Daikin Energy Innovation Lab.

A research team from the UMD Center for Environmental Energy Engineering has developed a framework that makes it quicker and less expensive to develop latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) systems – an emerging technology that reduces peak electricity demand and eases power grid strain. This breakthrough approach dramatically cuts the time needed to simulate a building energy system integrated with LHTES from weeks to minutes, or even seconds, depending on the system’s complexity. The team presented its findings in a recent issue of Journal of Energy Storage. 

Thermal energy storage (TES) systems reduce the mismatch between energy supply and demand by storing energy during low-demand times and supplying that stored energy during peak times. This lets heat pumps operate under less extreme temperatures, cutting electricity costs and reducing stress on the power grid.  The CEEE team considered LHTES systems using phase change materials (PCMs) – which absorb or release energy as they change physical state – making them especially effective for storing surplus energy and smoothing grid fluctuations.

“But the problem has been that modeling a TES can take a long time – it’s computationally burdensome, and the results are not always accurate,” says CEEE graduate research assistant Mylena V.P. Menezes, the paper’s first author.

Co-authors are graduate research assistant Al-Hussain Othman, postdoctoral researcher James Tancabel and CEEE Director Vikrant C. Aute, a research professor in the UMD Department of Mechanical Engineering. The researchers are with CEEE’s Modeling and Optimization Consortium. 

"The problem has been that modeling a TES can take a long time – it’s computationally burdensome, and the results are not always accurate." 

CEEE researcher Mylena V.P. Menezes

The new modeling framework leverages PCM-heat exchanger performance maps, enabling highly accurate predictions of TES-integrated HVAC system performance over 1800x faster than using detailed models such as computational fluid dynamics or resistance-capacitance models. “This simplified method offers a faster way to analyze energy demand reduction and feasibility of LHTES integrated heat pumps,” says Menezes. The framework is designed to work with any type of heat exchanger – regardless of the geometry.

The approach also enables performance assessments of heat pump–LHTES systems in any climate. The team simulated a representative heat pump-LHTES system in two climate zones: International Falls, Minnesota, and Tampa, Florida. The analysis demonstrated energy savings of up to 62.2% in International Falls and 17.4% in Tampa — showing benefits across very different climates. Savings were higher in the colder location, owing to reduced reliance on backup heating. 

“With this faster assessment of PCM-heat exchangers, we can work toward optimizing TES and exploring novel designs,” says Menezes. “That could help accelerate adoption of heat pump–TES systems that improve energy efficiency and reduce peak demand.” 

Download the paper: “An approach for fast and accurate simulation of phase change material based thermal energy storage in buildings.”


Published May 28, 2026