Heat Storage Berlin (HSB) is here to make saving the planet hotter than a Finnish sauna in July. Did you know? Creating heat for industrial processes is directly responsible for a fifth of global energy system CO2 emissions (sciencedirect.com). At more than 20%, heavy industry needs to do some heavy lifting, but thankfully, there are people out there working hard to lighten the load.
Hello to Dorina, our expert from HSB and one of the driving forces behind this thermal revolution. She’s not your average energy nerd (though we’re sure she could out-nerd the best of them). Dorina’s part of a team that looked at the world’s energy crisis and thought, “You know what this needs? More heat.”
“We help industrial companies to shift to regenerative energies,” Dorina explains. “Our heat storage system replaces burning fossil fuels to create heat. We do this by using surplus renewable electricity to charge our heat storage system, and then the heat can be taken on demand from our storage.”
Fossil Fools to Energy Einsteins
Now, you might be wondering, “How does one go from burning rotten dinosaurs to storing sunshine?” Well, it’s a tale as old as… well, as old as the first time someone burned their hand on a hot rock and thought, “Hey, we could use this to boil an egg.”
HSB’s vision: “We collectively build an energy system where everyone has access to regenerative energy.” This is the flat-rate party of energy. Seconds, anyone?
The Storage Wars: Episode “Heat”
But how does this magic work, you ask? Strap on your science goggles because we’re about to drop some knowledge bombs.
HSB takes surplus electricity—you know, the extra power that is created but not used during peak windy and sunny days—and stores it as heat. They’re not storing electricity in a battery. As exciting (and maybe even a little dangerous) as that would sound, HSB is doing something unique. They’re storing the energy as heat in massive fire bricks at 1000°C.
Then, when companies need heat for their manufacturing processes – like drying paper, baking food or brewing beer – they can use this stored heat on demand. This genie in a lamp, instead of wishes, grants you warmth.
Benefits Hotter Than a Habanero
Sure, it sounds cool. Or, uh, hot. But what’s in it for us? Well, the benefits are more numerous than the excuses you make for not going to the gym:
1. It’s an integral part of energy grids that work with renewables.
2. Cheaper energy prices for customers.
3. It’s circular, with no toxic, scarce, or unethical materials.
4. It decarbonizes heat production. Currently, heat is mainly created by burning fossil fuels, which is about as eco-friendly as a monster truck rally in the Amazon rainforest.
The Heat is On (The Future)
When asked about HSB’s long and short-term goals, Dorina says, “To build some commercial plants.” No pressure.
But don’t let the modest goals fool you. HSB is hotter than a viral TikTok dance. They’re rubbing elbows with other energy companies like HH2E and Stoff2. It’s the Berliner Avengers of the energy world but with fewer CGI explosions.
Join the Heat Wave
So, what can you do to help? Well, unless you happen to own a manufacturing company that needs heat (and if you do, you are probably reading this with an increased heart frequency), your options are as follows:
For starters, you can spread the word. Share this article. Talk about heat storage at parties (warning: this may not make you more popular). And most importantly, connect Dorina with decision-makers in the industry. Which industry? Any industry. If they need a lot of heat. It’s all about connections in the impact world.
At GICA, we’re all about supporting these thermal trailblazers. Want to get more fired up about impact? Saunter on over to gica.community, maybe get inspired by reading an article about eco-cement for Africa, and join our hotbed of change-makers.
Remember: Every time you support companies like Heat Storage Berlin, somewhere in the world, a fossil fuel executive gets a tiny shiver down their spine. And isn’t that a much better mental image than a polar bear stranded on a melting iceberg?
The future of energy is hot, it’s clean, and thanks to Heat Storage Berlin, it’s surprisingly storable. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and get my pizza Funghi out of HSB’s test oven at .GUT collab center Tegel (yes, they really have that there, see the picture… or even better: come visit).
Dorina on LinkedIn? Here!
