New battery technologies demonstrate efficiency in extreme cold and energy storage

Recent developments in battery technology are addressing energy efficiency and performance in extreme temperatures. In Finland, testing conducted at the VTT facilities indicates that a battery developed by Donut Lab maintained 93% of its energy at -30 degrees Celsius. Notably, this performance was achieved without the use of active heating systems or specialized thermal insulation, offering a potential solution to the energy drain typically caused by cold weather in electric vehicles.

In Costa Rica, thermal energy storage (TES) technology is being implemented to reduce electricity consumption in refrigerated environments, such as food storage centers and hotel cold rooms. This passive technology, represented by Energy Shift Ingeniería de Proyectos (ESi), can reduce energy consumption by 20% to 50% throughout the day, and up to 90% during peak hours. The solution integrates with existing refrigeration systems and offers a significantly lower leveled cost of energy storage compared to lithium-based alternatives.