Project leaders get together in Birmingham
Last month project leaders met in Birmingham for a sucessful 4th General Assembly. This productive meeting brought together consortium partners from across Europe to review progress, discuss challenges, and plan for the future. The assembly covered significant advancements in various work packages, addressing key milestones and charting a course for successful project completion.

The meeting, held on September 12th and 13th, 2024, encompassed a wide range of topics across the ThumbsUp project's various work packages (WPs). Key highlights include:
WP1 (Innovation Assessment & Validation): Data from validation and demonstration sites was gathered and analyzed. Work on the SorTES and FractLES models is progressing, addressing initial limitations. Use cases focusing on optimizing photovoltaic surplus and minimizing peak energy demand are being refined, with final TRNSYS models anticipated within a slightly extended timeframe.

WP2 (Daily Thermal Storage Solutions): Milestone 3 was successfully achieved, completing the roadmap for scaling up bio-PCMs. Work on PCM development using waste animal fats yielded promising results, with chicken fat exhibiting the highest efficiency. HEX topology testing and optimization studies are underway to improve heat transfer efficiency and reduce costs.

WP3 (Long Duration Thermal Storage Solutions): Calcium chloride (CaCl2) was confirmed as the primary material, with successful first batches created and production scaling underway. HEX design modifications were implemented to address weight and cost constraints. While 5 kWh prototype testing encountered initial setbacks (water distribution issues), adjustments are being made.

WP4 (Demonstration Campaign): Activities are progressing as planned. Timeline updates were discussed and refined, ensuring the demonstration sites remain on schedule.

WP5 (Impact and Replication Assessment): The LCA modelling process for PCM and TCM materials is underway. Replication site studies are progressing, with some sites confirmed. Social aspects research (tenant acceptance) continued with workshops and surveys.

WP6 (Dissemination, Communication & Exploitation): The team outlined strategies for promoting ThumbsUp project updates across various channels and platforms. Upcoming events and webinar plans were also discussed.

WP7 (Project Coordination & Management): The second amendment to the general assembly was submitted. Progress monitoring and reporting activities proceeded, although the initial report encountered minor revisions required by the EC.

Key Takeaways and Next Steps:
The General Assembly underscored considerable progress across all work packages. Key areas of focus going forward include: finalizing prototype designs and specifications; completing various simulation and testing activities; finalizing the demonstration campaign schedules; and solidifying plans for dissemination and exploitation activities.
Conclusion:
The Birmingham General Assembly served as a crucial milestone for the ThumbsUp project, solidifying progress towards its objectives and reinforcing the collaborative spirit within the consortium. The meeting's outcomes provide a robust roadmap for delivering innovative and sustainable thermal energy storage solutions.

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