The first step is to understand how the site uses heat today.
We assess annual fuel consumption, operating hours, peak demand, seasonal variation, required temperature, steam pressure, daily demand profile and the type of heat required: hot water, steam or hot air.
This determines whether the site is suitable for thermal storage and what role storage should play: baseload heat, peak shaving, overnight charging, multi-day resilience or partial boiler displacement.
The required output determines the technology envelope.
Low-temperature hot water, medium-temperature steam and high-temperature process air require different storage media, heat exchangers, insulation, controls and integration routes.
Thermal Grid therefore evaluates the useful heat the customer needs before selecting the storage medium.
The commercial case depends heavily on how the system is charged.
We assess whether the project can use constrained renewable generation, direct renewable supply, private wire arrangements, flexible grid import, low-price periods, or a combination of these.
The electricity supply route affects charging cost, grid connection requirements, Climate Change Levy treatment, metering, carbon accounting and overall project economics.
Thermal Grid is technology-partner led and technology-agnostic.
The selection depends on:
The aim is not to promote one storage material. The aim is to deliver reliable, lower-carbon heat in the most practical way for each site.
Thermal storage should reduce operational risk and create resilience in the heating sources.
Thermal Grid expects systems to work alongside existing boilers, steam systems, hot water loops, heat exchangers and controls.
Existing boilers can remain available for backup and peak demand while the thermal storage system reduces fossil fuel consumption during normal operation.
Once the technical fit is understood, Thermal Grid models the commercial case.
This includes capital cost, operating cost, electricity charging cost, avoided fuel use, boiler efficiency, Climate Change Levy treatment, maintenance, emissions reduction, financing cost and the proposed heat offtake structure.
The goal is to identify projects where thermal storage can deliver useful heat at a lower and more stable cost than fossil fuel alternatives.
The final recommendation combines the technical design and commercial model.
Depending on the site, this could involve a Thermal Grid-owned asset, a customer-owned system, a joint venture, a heat-as-a-service agreement or a long-term heat offtake contract.
The result is a project designed around the site’s actual heat demand.
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