# Latent heat and cold storage: What to track

Tariffs for cold storage, survival for hot-metal startups

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_latent_heat/tracking/

What this tab covers The attributes worth tracking regularly, with the latest value, the direction of travel and why each matters.

For cold storage track tariffs and peak pricing; for hot PCMs track whether any developer delivers bankable field data.

| Category | Attribute | Latest | Trend | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Techno-economic | **LCOS trajectory (payback as proxy)** | No LCOS found; payback about 3.9 years (commercial vendor example), 2-4 years projected (residential)^[2](https://elibrary.tranetechnologies.com/public/commercial-hvac/Literature/Sales/IB-SLB001-EN_12012020.pdf)^[4](https://www.energy.gov/node/4814345) | → stable | Payback depends on demand charges and time-of-use spreads. |
| Technical | **Capacity fade and state of health** | Ice: negligible; salt hydrates supercool by over 5 C and corrode^[5](https://www.ornl.gov/publication/review-low-cost-organic-and-inorganic-phase-change-materials-phase-change-temperature) | → stable | Material stability decides PCM life. |
| Supply chain | **Critical mineral cost and geopolitical concentration** | None needed; salt hydrates USD 0.09-2.53 per kg^[5](https://www.ornl.gov/publication/review-low-cost-organic-and-inorganic-phase-change-materials-phase-change-temperature) | → stable | Low exposure to mineral markets. |
| Market | **Ancillary service and peak-tariff saturation** | Over 1 GW of peak reduction across over 4,000 sites (company claim)^[2](https://elibrary.tranetechnologies.com/public/commercial-hvac/Literature/Sales/IB-SLB001-EN_12012020.pdf) | ↗ improving | Value falls if peaks flatten or tariffs change. |
| Regulatory | **Safety and environmental compliance** | Paraffins flammable, salt hydrates corrosive; no battery-specific code applies^[6](https://nso-journal.org/articles/nso/full_html/2024/03/NSO20230051/T2.html) | → stable | Building fire codes govern PCMs indoors. |
| Impact | **Lifecycle carbon payback period** | No published figure found^[2](https://elibrary.tranetechnologies.com/public/commercial-hvac/Literature/Sales/IB-SLB001-EN_12012020.pdf) | → stable | Needed to confirm net benefit of extra chiller energy. |
| Market | **Installed cooling storage** | over 13.9 GWh in about 160 projects (IRENA)^[1](https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2020/Nov/IRENA_Innovation_Outlook_TES_2020.pdf) | ↗ improving | Indicates market depth for cold storage. |
| Risk | **High-temperature PCM developer survival** | Azelio (aluminium alloy) bankrupt July 2023; Dearman (liquid nitrogen) in administration 2019-20; 1414 Degrees at demonstration stage^[8](https://1414degrees.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/14D-SiBox-competitive-with-fossil-fuels-27042023.pdf)^[9](https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/long-duration-energy-storage/is-azelios-abrupt-bankruptcy-a-bad-omen-for-long-duration-energy-storage)^[13](https://www.jonesday.com/en/practices/experience/2020/01/dearman-engine-company-enters-administration) | ↕ volatile | Technology and financing risk remain high. |

#### Sources

1. [Innovation Outlook: Thermal Energy Storage](https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2020/Nov/IRENA_Innovation_Outlook_TES_2020.pdf) IRENA, 2020
2. [Thermal Battery systems: CALMAC ice storage (Trane sales brochure IB-SLB001, company data)](https://elibrary.tranetechnologies.com/public/commercial-hvac/Literature/Sales/IB-SLB001-EN_12012020.pdf) Trane Technologies, 2020
3. [Ice Storage and Other Thermal Storage-Related Systems (project page: Mainstream Engineering with the National Laboratory of the Rockies)](https://www.energy.gov/node/4814345) US Department of Energy, 2021
4. [Review of Low-Cost Organic and Inorganic Phase Change Materials with Phase Change Temperature between 0 C and 65 C (Hirschey et al., Purdue High Performance Buildings Conference)](https://www.ornl.gov/publication/review-low-cost-organic-and-inorganic-phase-change-materials-phase-change-temperature) Oak Ridge National Laboratory, 2021
5. [Study on the hybrid energy storage for industrial park energy systems, Table 2: thermal storage materials (National Science Open 3(3))](https://nso-journal.org/articles/nso/full_html/2024/03/NSO20230051/T2.html) National Science Open, 2024
6. [SiBox competitive with fossil fuels (ASX announcement, company data)](https://1414degrees.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/14D-SiBox-competitive-with-fossil-fuels-27042023.pdf) 1414 Degrees, 2023
7. [Is Azelio's abrupt bankruptcy a bad omen for long-duration energy storage? (news report)](https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/long-duration-energy-storage/is-azelios-abrupt-bankruptcy-a-bad-omen-for-long-duration-energy-storage) Canary Media, 2023
8. [Dearman Engine Company enters administration](https://www.jonesday.com/en/practices/experience/2020/01/dearman-engine-company-enters-administration) Jones Day, 2020

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_latent_heat/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_latent_heat/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_latent_heat/correlation/index.md)
- [Science and technology](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_latent_heat/sg-sci/index.md)
- [Engineering and performance](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_latent_heat/sg-eng/index.md)
- [Economics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_latent_heat/sg-econ/index.md)
- [Impact and additionality](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_latent_heat/sg-impact/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_latent_heat/links/index.md)