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ENERGY STORAGE
Storage contract ‘monumental’ for Ice Energy
Slate’s Daniel Gross takes a look at Ice Energy’s deal with Southern California Edison and pronounces it “monumental” for the 12-year-old Santa Barbara company.
Ice Energy’s Ice Bear system makes ice at night when demand for electricity is low and capacity is abundant. During the day, the stored ice is used to provide cooling. Ice Bear will provide SCE with 26 megawatts of storage capacity.
“Ice Energy had conducted some 36 pilot programs—money-losing, time-consuming one-offs,” Gross writes. “This order, for three times the number of units it has deployed in its entire history, will transform Ice Energy into a viable, profitable company.”
NEW PRODUCTS
Outlast cools Puma’s new golf shoe
Puma’s new TitanTour golf shoe features temperature-regulating phase change material in its lining. The Outlast technology is designed to keep the wearer comfortable by absorbing, storing and releasing heat as conditions demand.
The shoe, set for release Feb. 1, retails for $190. Rickie Fowler, Jonas Blixt, Will MacKenzie and Jesper Parnevik are among the pro golfers set to wear it.
RESEARCH ROUNDUP
RENEWABLE ENERGY
IRENA to launch ‘Google of renewable energy’
CleanTechnica’s Zachary Shahan reports that the International Renewable Energy Agency is ready to unveil REsource, a research tool he describes as “akin to a Google of renewable energy.”
IRENA says the goal is to provide “relevant, reliable and timely information on renewable energy market statistics, potentials, policies, finance, technology costs and benefits, innovations and education.” Screenshots of the tool show a Google-like main screen that will allow visitors to tap IRENA’s “vast knowledge base” for information by source, energy type and country.
The tool is expected to be launched at IRENA’s 5th Assembly in Abu Dhabi next week.
BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION
10 issues on UK construction radar for 2015
UK’s Construction Manager magazine has collected 10 predictions for the coming year. Phase change material is listed as one of the “cutting edge” meta-materials poised to make a big impact in construction in 2015. The magazine also lists drones, 3-D printers and haptics as “emerging” technologies with great promise.
MARKET RESEARCH
High growth in PCM demand seen for shipping, transportation, textiles, electronics
Companies and Markets is projecting that demand for advanced phase change material will reach $1.4 billion by 2019. Europe will remain the largest market, followed by the Americas.
“Building & construction is the major application for the advanced PCM market,” the report said. “It accounted for 20% of the market share in terms of volume, in 2013. Shipping, packaging & transportation, textiles, and electronic applications of advanced PCM are projected to experience high growth among the applications between 2014 and 2019.”
That’s all for this week. Thanks for your interest in PureTemp. And remember … Phase Change Matters!