Seasonal energy storages can play a key role in the energy turnaround and especially in the energy strategy 2050 which is approved by the Swiss federal government. Currently, building projects of seasonal energy storages always have a research nature and the construction costs are consequently too high. To drive the technology forward in Switzerland and to reach market maturity in future, the CCTES is willing to work intensively on this topic.
In the course of this, the innovation platform SENSAI was founded (Sensible Saisonale Wärme-/Kältespeicherung). The platform promotes an active cooperation between industry and scientific institutions through regular meetings and offers a lively transfer of knowledge and exchange of experience on the subject seasonal heat storages. The focus is in particular on the realization of innovative and practical concepts. Therefore pilot- and development projects with various research issues together with industrial partners and the Hochschule Luzern respectively further scientific institutions are launched.
Innovation platform for seasonal thermal storage
The members of the SENSAI consortium are committed to promoting the acceptance and technological development of seasonal thermal energy storage, aiming to increase its profitability and dissemination in Switzerland.
In its essence, SENSAI (German acronym for sensible seasonal thermal energy storage) is an innovation platform with the goal of bringing together and facilitating active collaboration between industry, research and the public sector. Through biannual roundtables, SENSAI provides an open collaborative space that facilitates knowledge transfer, exchange of experiences, and identification of research and business opportunities in the field of seasonal thermal energy storage. Here, the focus is placed on short-term research with direct commercial applicability, typically conducted in the framework of pilot and demonstration or applied-research projects.
SENSAI thereby provides a unique space and an interdisciplinary approach to innovation on the subject of seasonal thermal energy storage, benefiting members through expanded business networks, valuable insights from theory and practice, and a pole position to initiate publicly funded research projects.
