The Mediterranean faces common challenges related to energy consumption, climate change, and the need for sustainable solutions. Mediterranean countries spend more than 50% of their energy consumption on space heating and/or cooling. The Mediterranean climate is ideal for harnessing and storing solar thermal energy to reduce the energy demand of buildings toward a net zero energy building target.

The STORM project capitalizes on the Mediterranean's solar potential by integrating seasonal thermal energy storage (STES) in the building stock.

STES is a mature technology that involves harnessing thermal energy during the sun-rich months and storing the energy in soil/rock/water via borehole thermal energy storage or tank thermal energy storage. The stored energy is utilized to heat spaces and provide domestic hot water or to cool spaces by powering innovative thermally-activated adsorption chillers with low grade heat.

Despite it being a proven technology, there remains minimal deployment of STES in Mediterranean countries. This is attributed to the lack of regulations, data, and pilot demonstrations that prove the efficiency and feasibility of this technology in the Mediterranean.

Through 4 pilots that are jointly implemented in Beirut, Ajloun, and Palermo or showcased in Barcelona, STORM will generate localized data on efficiency gains and develop simulation models to speed up the uptake of this technology in decentralized applications in the Mediterranean.

STORM aims to unlock the potential of seasonal thermal storage in the Mediterranean and advocate for a shift from conventional energy practices to a sustainable, energy-efficiency decentralized model.

The project’s transnational implementation will lead to social, economic, and environmental benefits for owners/occupants of residential, commercial, and public buildings and energy grid operators, regulatory bodies, and policy makers who will benefit from an improved resilience and efficiency in the energy infrastructure.