By Eamonn Ryan
In a Blue Frontier product webinar hosted on the ASHRAE platform as part of the ASHRAE Journal Supplier Webinar Series, the company presented a fundamentally new vision for air conditioning. Led by Matthew Cruz, VP of sales, and Matthew Tillman, CTO, the session explored how HVAC systems can be redesigned to dramatically cut energy use while improving resilience, comfort and sustainability. This is part three of a six-part series.
One of the most compelling innovations discussed during a Blue Frontier product webinar hosted on the ASHRAE platform was the concept of embedded energy storage within HVAC systems. Rather than relying on conventional electrical batteries, Blue Frontier uses liquid desiccants to store cooling capacity directly within the air-conditioning process.
During the ASHRAE-hosted webinar, speakers emphasised that this capability fundamentally changes the role of HVAC in buildings. Vectorjuice | Freepik.com
At the heart of Blue Frontier’s system is a non-corrosive liquid desiccant that performs double duty: it removes moisture from incoming air and acts as a highly efficient form of thermal energy storage. When the desiccant absorbs moisture, it becomes diluted. When energy is available – such as during periods of low electricity prices or high solar generation – the system regenerates the desiccant by removing that moisture, effectively ‘charging’ the thermal battery.
Unlike lithium-ion batteries, this form of storage does not degrade with repeated use. There are no cycle limits, no capacity fade and no fire or thermal runaway risks. Once concentrated, the desiccant can sit indefinitely until it is needed again, making it uniquely suited for daily load shifting and long-term resilience.
The webinar compared this approach with traditional ice storage, a common thermal storage strategy in commercial HVAC. While ice relies on a solid-to-liquid phase change with an energy density of roughly 315BTU per kilogram, moisture phase change between liquid and vapour offers nearly 2 200BTU per kilogram. In practice, Blue Frontier’s liquid desiccant storage delivers 2.5 to 4 times the usable energy density of ice, without the efficiency penalties associated with freezing, melting or ambient temperature sensitivity.
This high-density storage enables a remarkable operating mode. A 20-ton Blue Frontier system can deliver four to six hours of full cooling and dehumidification with the compressor completely shut off, consuming less than 1 800 watts. In this mode, energy use is limited primarily to fans and small pumps, while comfort and humidity control are fully maintained.
During the ASHRAE-hosted webinar, speakers emphasised that this capability fundamentally changes the role of HVAC in buildings. Instead of being a fixed, inflexible load, HVAC becomes a controllable energy asset – one that can reduce peak demand, lower operating costs and improve grid stability without any impact on occupants.
