FLUWS at Solarpaces 2026: Advancing Sustainable Thermal Energy Storage
The FLUWS project was represented at SolarPACES 2026, held from 15–18 September 2026 in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany, with four scientific contributions showcasing the project’s latest developments in innovative thermal energy storage (TES).
SOLARPACES brought together researchers, industry representatives and experts from across the international solar thermal energy community, providing an important opportunity to present new research, exchange knowledge and discuss the challenges and opportunities for the next generation of thermal energy storage technologies.
For FLUWS, the conference was an opportunity to present different aspects of the project’s work on brick-based thermal energy storage using recycled and repurposed materials, with a particular focus on high-temperature applications and the integration of sustainable materials into innovative TES systems.
Three oral presentations and one poster
The FLUWS team contributed to the conference programme with three oral presentations and one poster presentation.
Development of a Honeycomb Storage Brick using Waste Material from the Silestone® Production
The first FLUWS contribution was presented by Stefan Gschwander, together with Sabrina Hebert and Alfonso Cortes Izurdiaga.
The presentation, entitled “Development of a Honeycomb Storage Brick using Waste Material from the Silestone® production”, focused on the development of a honeycomb-shaped thermal storage brick using waste material generated during Silestone® production.
The work brings together two important aspects of the FLUWS approach: the development of innovative thermal storage geometries and the valorisation of industrial waste materials as resources for energy storage applications.
Laboratory Prototype of Brick-Based Thermal Energy Storage Using Repurposed Ceramic Waste
The second oral presentation, delivered by Miguel Sainz Manas, Konstantinos Apostolopoulos-Kalkavouras, Silvia Trevisan and Rafael Guedez, presented a “Laboratory Prototype of Brick-Based Thermal Energy Storage Using Repurposed Ceramic Waste.”
The contribution addressed the development and laboratory testing of a brick-based TES concept incorporating repurposed ceramic waste, providing insights into the practical implementation of recycled materials in thermal storage technologies.
This work represents an important step towards demonstrating how materials originating from waste streams can be incorporated into functional thermal energy storage systems.
Aspect Ratio Analyses of a Radial-Flow Packed Brick Thermal Energy Storage System for High-Temperature Industrial Applications
The third oral presentation was delivered by Batuhan Ülkütaşır, Ata Ülger, Murat Köksal and Onur Taylan.
Their contribution, entitled “Aspect Ratio Analyses of a Radial-Flow Packed Brick Thermal Energy Storage System for High-Temperature Industrial Applications,” investigated the influence of storage geometry on the performance of a radial-flow packed brick TES system.
The study focuses on the design and optimisation of thermal energy storage systems for high-temperature industrial applications, addressing key aspects of system configuration and performance.
Integration Layouts and Techno-economic Performance Evaluation
In addition to the three oral presentations, FLUWS was represented by a poster entitled “Integration Layouts and Techno-economic Performance Evaluation for an Innovative TES Based on Recycled Ceramic Materials for CSP.”
The poster was presented by Miguel Ramos Aibar, Patricia Santamaría Prado, Ángel Martínez Quesada, Rocío Mingorance Mingorance and Manuel Quero García.
The contribution explored the integration of recycled ceramic-based thermal energy storage technologies into CSP systems, combining technical and techno-economic considerations to assess their potential at system level.
Together, the four contributions presented at SOLARPACES 2026 reflect the multidisciplinary approach of the FLUWS project.
From material development and waste valorisation to laboratory-scale validation, system design and techno-economic assessment, the research presented at the conference addresses different stages of the development of sustainable thermal energy storage solutions.
A central element of the FLUWS approach is the potential to transform industrial and ceramic waste materials into valuable components for thermal energy storage, contributing to both the circular use of materials and the development of innovative solutions for high-temperature energy applications.
The participation in SOLARPACES 2026 provided an opportunity to share these results with the international scientific and industrial community, receive feedback and exchange ideas with researchers working on the future of solar thermal energy and thermal energy storage.
The FLUWS consortium will continue working on the development and validation of these technologies, with the aim of contributing to more sustainable, circular and cost-effective thermal energy storage solutions for renewable energy and industrial applications.
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