ThermoVerse, a startup founded by Shantonio Birch, has taken a step forward with its win in Phase 2 of the Department of Energy’s Office of Technology Transitions’ American-Made Lab MATCH Prize. Partnering with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Birch’s company is developing thermal energy storage-based transactive energy management systems, a technology with the potential to shift and shed thermal load from heating, ventilation and air conditioning, or HVAC, by 40% or more, which addresses new Building Performance Standards.

Expanding Frontiers also secured a Phase 2 win for an innovative carbon capture technology developed by ORNL’s Kashif Nawaz, a staff scientist and section head for building technologies research. The cooling tower-based system captures carbon dioxide using existing building infrastructure. This method reduces greenhouse gas emissions by absorbing CO2 into a liquid medium, which can then be used for other products. The technology is cost-efficient, adaptable across various building types, and enhances heat management using waste heat, making it a sustainable solution for reducing emissions in commercial buildings, industrial plants and power generation facilities. 

The Lab MATCH — Laboratory Making Advanced Technology Commercialization Harmonized — Prize is a three-phase competition, which fast-tracks clean energy innovation through prizes, training, mentoring and cross-sector collaboration. As Phase 2 winners, both companies will receive $50,000 in funding toward commercialization.

ThermoVerse’s work focuses on integrating distributed energy resources such as electric vehicles, solar power and other sustainable technologies into the grid while managing thermal loads in buildings. Birch, an alumnus of the National GEM Consortium and a fellow in Innovation Crossroads Cohort 2023, has been collaborating with ORNL scientists to commercialize his startup’s proprietary technology known as LATCHES, or large-area transactive cooling, heating and energy storage.

“Winning Phase 2 is not only a win for ThermoVerse, but also for energy equity,” Birch said. 

This Oak Ridge National Laboratory news article "Innovation Crossroads company among two ORNL Lab MATCH Phase 2 wins" was originally found on https://www.ornl.gov/news