Sun, Water, Salt, and Graphite: A Sustainable Pathway to Decarbonizing Heat

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In 2019, buildings accounted for 28% of the global energy-related CO2 emissions. Canada's Climate Change targets can only be met if the emissions associated with the heating/cooling of buildings are significantly reduced. Looking ahead, building floor area and space cooling demand are projected to double by 2070, exceeding the current decarbonization efforts. A transition to fully electric (clean) heating isn't feasible as it would overwhelm the existing grid, especially considering the fast-paced electrification of the transport sector. This clearly indicates the crucial need for developing alternative heating and cooling technologies to achieve decarbonization. Presently, 90% of global energy use involves the generation or manipulation of heat, 60% of which is discharged to the ambient as low-grade heat. The overarching goal of this Discovery Program is to advance our ability to efficiently store, transport, and convert low-grade heat, which plays an indispensable role in establishing a sustainable energy grid. Building novel sorption heat transformers has the potential to address this grand challenge and revolutionize the industry. Sorption heat transformers are emerging, flexible systems capable of providing renewable heating, hot water, and cooling year-round using low-grade heat. They have high energy storage density and are capable of long-term thermal storage with minimal loss to the ambient. They offer the potential for large-scale excess electricity conversion to heat/cold and storage with no need for rare-earth minerals or environmentally harmful materials. Nevertheless, heat transformers are still at a concept stage and a holistic approach is required to tremendously improve their efficiency, reliability, and cost for market viability. Building on our recent progress in the development of new sorption composites and introducing a unique design/optimization approach (a combination of genetic algorithms & biomimicry) for fabricating new cost-effective, corrosion-resistant, graphite-based heat exchangers with minimal thermal inertia, we now have a window of opportunity to greatly improve the performance of sorption heat transformer/thermal storage technology and reduce their cost to introduce them to the market. This research program has a potential to significantly reduce building emissions, which will have considerable health & environmental benefits. Furthermore, it will benefit underrepresented and equity-seeking communities that are isolated and decentralized from the North American electricity & natural gas distribution grids and dependent on polluting and expensive diesel for their heating demands. Innovation is at the core of this program with potential for creating spin-off companies. The developed talent, expertise, materials, and technologies will enhance Canada's ability to create the next generation of clean energy solutions-ideal for value-added export and providing energy & job security for the benefit of all Canadians.