New materials research underpins sustainable cooling technology

Cambridge research on barocaloric materials enables new approach to energy-efficient cooling

Research in the Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge is helping to drive the development of a new generation of energy-efficient cooling technologies based on solid-state materials.

The work focuses on barocaloric materials, a class of materials that heat up and cool down when pressure is applied. Unlike conventional refrigeration systems, which rely on greenhouse gas refrigerants, these materials offer a potentially cleaner and more sustainable alternative.

Developed over more than a decade of research within the Department, this approach provides a fundamentally different route to cooling and heating, with the potential to significantly improve energy efficiency. Cooling and heating systems currently account for a substantial proportion of global energy use and emissions, highlighting the need for new solutions in this area.

The research has shown that barocaloric materials can deliver comparable or greater performance than traditional systems, while avoiding the environmental impact associated with conventional refrigerants.

This work has led to the creation of the spinout company Barocal, founded by Professor Xavier Moya, to explore the commercial potential of the technology in real-world cooling and heating applications.

As global demand for cooling continues to rise, advances in materials-based approaches such as this could play an important role in reducing energy consumption and supporting the transition to more sustainable technologies.

Read more about the commercial development of Barocal via Cambridge Enterprise.