Home Energy Management Entropy Solutions Introduces PureTemp for HVAC Systems

Entropy Solutions Introduces PureTemp for HVAC Systems

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MINNEAPOLIS—Entropy Solutions, Inc., a Minneapolis-based thermal technology development company, has introduced PureTemp for HVAC (heating, ventilation and air- conditioning). A vegetable oil derivative, PureTemp is a phase change material (PCM) that captures wasted ambient energy, and then releases this energy as necessary to hold specific temperatures for extended periods of time without requiring additional energy. PureTemp for HVAC is the world’s first and only 100 percent renewable, biodegradable and environmentally friendly material designed to work with HVAC systems.

When integrated into the infrastructure of an HVAC system, PureTemp captures the tremendous amount of wasted energy generated every time a furnace, water heater or air conditioner restarts and cycles through to reach or maintain its target temperature. PureTemp for HVAC then harness this stored energy to power subsequent HVAC system restarts when the temperature fluctuates—creating greener, more efficient and cost-effective residential and commercial HVAC systems.

For example, assume it costs 20 cents per kilowatt-hour of electricity to heat a commercial building during the daytime, but only 12 cents per kilowatt-hour at night. If the same building had a boiler engineered with PureTemp for HVAC, it would be possible to heat the system at night, with considerably less expensive off peak energy, and store the thermal energy to power the boiler during the day when energy is more expensive.

Leading residential and commercial HVAC manufacturers have started using PureTemp within select product lines. Entropy Solutions is also currently exploring additional partnerships with HVAC system manufacturers.

Leveraging Sustainable Energy Technology

“For the past 30-plus years, energy efficiency has been a top priority for HVAC system engineers and designers,” said Eric Lindquist, CEO for Entropy Solutions. “Today, there’s an even greater emphasis on leveraging sustainable energy technology to make HVAC systems more efficient. Whether it’s part of an airflow system in a furnace or air conditioner, or used as insulation material for a boiler or water heater, PureTemp for HVAC is redefining the meaning of ‘high efficiency’.”

Most HVAC solutions that store thermal energy use water as a temperature-controlling phase-change medium. But water-based systems are limited in their capacity to retain energy, storing only four joules per gram on average. By comparison, PureTemp can store up to 200 joules of energy per gram, boosting performance more than 50-fold.

Other alternatives to water-based PCMs, such as paraffinic (petroleum-based) or salt hydrate materials, offer a slight improvement over water’s thermal energy storage properties, but lack the long-term stability and “green” properties of PureTemp.

Tests performed by the USDA and analyses completed by Independent Life-Cycle and BEES have resulted in PureTemp being listed in the USDA BioPreferred directory as the only “green” choice in the Heat Transfer Fluid category.

In addition to being the only USDA Bio-Preferred phase-change material, which allows HVAC engineers to comply with LEED certification and other regulatory standards, PureTemp retains its peak performance through more than 60,000 thermal cycles. Other, non-renewable PCMs can be corrosive, toxic and highly flammable, and need to be replaced after just a few thermal cycles.

About Phase Change Materials

PureTemp is a “phase change material,” meaning it has the ability to change phases (for example, liquid to solid or solid to liquid) between set temperatures. PureTemp’s phase change range is anywhere between -40°F and 160°F. During the process of liquefying and solidifying within a set temperature range, phase change materials absorb, store and release large amounts of energy. These natural properties of latent heat energy help maintain a product’s or structure’s temperature (energy) and buffer it from temperature swings. Phase change materials (PCMs) recharge as ambient (outdoor) temperatures fluctuate, making them ideal for a multitude of everyday applications and industries.

About PureTemp

PureTemp is a specially engineered renewable based passive technology that controls temperatures to extremes—as cold as dry ice, as hot as coffee—for extended periods of time. PureTemp is the world’s first and only 100 percent renewable, biodegradable and environmentally friendly material to answer age-old issues concerning temperature control and maintenance. Available in liquid, micro-encapsulated and macro-encapsulated forms, PureTemp has myriad applications in the shipping, construction, textile, healthcare, HVAC and energy industries—anywhere strict temperature control is required.

Go to Entropy Solutions.

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