Why is it Said that Home Energy Storage will Enter the “Liquid Cooling Era”?

This year, a branch of new energy storage – home energy storage, suddenly became popular in the global market. Continued increases in energy price and electricity price have rapidly driven the adoption of home energy storage devices abroad.
“Just like the air conditioners of the 90s”, some market veterans used this as a metaphor for home energy storage. On one hand it means that it is like the air conditioner in the 90s in overseas markets, and on the other hand it means that the appearance of home energy storage is gradually comparable to the volume of a cabinet air conditioner, and integrated home appliances are gradually becoming a trend.

With the rapid development of home energy storage, liquid-cooled energy storage systems are gaining more and more attention.

Overseas Demand for Home Energy Storage has Exploded

Due to the soaring price of energy and electricity in Europe, North America, and other countries or regions such as Africa with high electricity prices but poor stability, the application of home PV + energy storage can improve the level of electricity self-generation and self-consumption, delay and reduce the risks brought about by electricity price increases, and at the same time obtaining stable power support, thus the demand is rapidly rising.

Huajing Industry Research Institute predicts that from 2021 to 2025, the growth rate of new home energy storage overseas will be maintained at more than 60%, and the total capacity of new user-side energy storage overseas will be close to 50GWh by 2025. According to the “Analysis of the Market Size and Industry Investment Prospects of the 2022 Home Energy Storage Market,” the global market size of home energy storage was $7.5 billion in 2020, and the Chinese market size was $1.337 billion, equivalent to RMB 8.651 billion. It is expected that by 2027, the global market size will reach $26.4 billion and the Chinese market size will reach $4.6 billion.

Oriental Securities Research Report also pointed out previously, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has intensified the panic of the European energy crisis, promoting the European household energy storage market explosion.

Relevant listed companies in the industry are accelerating the layout of the home energy storage market. In the face of rapid expansion of home energy storage capacity, analysts and listed companies are optimistic that the market still has a large growth space.

Liquid Cooling Temperature Control has Become a Market Trend

Liquid cooling system is a temperature control technology for battery temperature management. Air conditioners, electric vehicles, and charging piles that we are more familiar with will use temperature control technology. Temperature control system plays a vital role in the safety, efficiency and lifespan of energy storage.

Air-cooled technology was first commonly used in energy storage systems because of its simple structure, mature technology, low cost and rapid delivery and deployment. As a medium and long-term technical solution, liquid cooling will gradually increase its market penetration. Why is liquid-cooled temperature control becoming a trend in the energy storage market?

1. Safer Working Conditions

The threshold of liquid cooling energy storage technology is relatively high, it is not a simple system heat dissipation. It uses a circulating water pump to drive the cooling liquid convection to directly dissipate heat to the battery cells. The method is controllable, and not affected by external conditions. Besides, the heat dissipation efficiency is high, and the temperature control is more precise, which can greatly reduce the risk of temperature runaway, fire and explosion. As far as the liquid cooling system is concerned, the key point is to ensure that no liquid leaks.

Choosing a pump with better sealing can effectively solve the problem of liquid-cooled energy storage system leakage. TOPSFLO imported advanced production equipment from the United States, France, Japan and other countries for high-precision production, high surface finish, and innovative use of special design inlet & outlet connection, and pipeline connection tight fit without gaps. In addition, imported gas-tight testing equipment (leakage value: 1Pa) is used to conduct tests higher than the industry standard, which can effectively eliminate the risk of pump leakage.

2. Lower Operation and Maintenance Cost

In addition to safety, energy storage system design should also take into account the whole life cycle of operation and maintenance, which generally needs to ensure stable operation for more than ten years. Moreover, energy consumption control is also the focus of liquid-cooled energy storage.

Liquid-cooled system does not make the energy storage itself produce a large self-consumption of electricity, compared with the air-cooled system, can save 30%-50% of energy consumption, effectively reducing operating costs.

TOPSFLO liquid cooling pump has the characteristics of maintenance-free, and can be customized according to customer requirements with a lifespan of 50,000 hours to meet the long-term operation needs of the energy storage system. 38 in-depth inspections for all-round performance that are stricter than industry standards. Each water pump has undergone comprehensive performance inspections before leaving the factory, and product reliability is guaranteed.

3. Smaller Size and More Intelligent Management

In addition to meeting the basic safety and operation requirements, small size and intelligence are undoubtedly the higher pursuit of industry customers for liquid-cooled energy storage systems.

Based on the characteristics of the liquid-cooled energy storage system, TOPSFLO uses the core technology of the liquid cooling system pump industry to design ingeniously. The product has low power and low power consumption. At the same time, it has a compact structure design, a small space ratio, simple installation, and convenient use; 5V/PWM speed regulation and FG speed signal feedback function, can realize automatic intelligent detection, support failure alarm, real-time data feedback, etc.

In a word, energy storage system as a complex solution requires in-depth understanding of electrochemistry, power electronics and other multiple links, and liquid-cooled energy storage further raises the technical threshold.

TOPSFLO has been deeply engaged in micro pump application technology for 18 years. Relying on the accumulation in automobile, medical, charging pile and other application fields, TOPSFLO has continuously provided high-quality liquid cooling circulating pumps for liquid-cooled energy storage systems, and strived for more excellence in product design and manufacturing, and continuously leading the development of the industry, successfully creating many classic application cases at home and abroad.

Topsflo’s Liquid Cooling Energy Storage Electronic Water Pump Empowers Home Energy Storage Safety

Frequent Energy Storage Thermal Runaway Incidents

Understanding liquid cooling energy storage begins with exploring energy storage temperature control technology. This approach is critical for preventing issues like capacity degradation, shortened lifespan, and thermal runaway in energy storage systems.

Energy storage systems contain numerous high-capacity batteries that require efficient thermal management. Without proper temperature control, battery performance, capacity, and lifespan can decline significantly. In severe cases, this may lead to thermal runaway, causing safety incidents.

From 2011 to 2021, there were 32 reported fires and explosions at energy storage power stations worldwide. Between January and May 2022, over 10 similar incidents occurred globally, with battery thermal runaway identified as a leading cause. These events underscore the importance of advanced energy storage temperature control to ensure the safe operation of power plants.

Liquid Cooling: The Future of Energy Storage Temperature Control

Energy storage temperature control technologies include air cooling, liquid cooling, heat pipe cooling, and phase change cooling. Air cooling removes heat through air convection, while liquid cooling uses heat transfer liquids like water or ethylene glycol. Heat pipe and phase change cooling are less practical and remain largely experimental.

Liquid cooling systems typically consist of components such as cooling plates, liquid cooling units (with optional heaters), pipelines (with temperature sensors and valves), high- and low-voltage wiring, coolants, and coolant pumps.

Compared to air cooling, liquid cooling offers superior heat dissipation efficiency, faster cooling, and better temperature regulation among batteries. These advantages lower energy consumption and extend system lifespan, ultimately reducing the lifecycle cost of energy storage systems.

Although air cooling currently dominates in domestic energy storage systems, the growing demand for high-capacity and high-rate energy storage makes liquid cooling solutions more suitable for large-scale or high-temperature applications. As new energy power stations and off-grid energy storage systems require greater battery capacity and power density, the adoption of liquid cooling is expected to rise.

5 Key Features of High-Quality Energy Storage Cooling Pumps

In liquid cooling systems, electronic water pumps circulate coolant through pipelines, dissipating excess battery heat and maintaining optimal operating temperatures. As a core component, a reliable electronic water pump is essential for liquid cooling systems.

Here are five must-have features of high-quality home energy storage electronic water pumps:

1.Extended Lifespan
Long-lasting pumps reduce operational costs and enhance energy storage system longevity. Topsflo pumps, featuring high-efficiency brushless DC motors, imported chips, and precision rotors, offer a lifespan of 30,000 hours—well above industry standards.

2.Low Temperature Rise
Topsflo pumps utilize premium automotive-grade electronic components, custom-designed PCB boards, and optimized electronic solutions to minimize temperature rise and enhance heat dissipation, ensuring excellent cooling performance.

3.Wide Temperature Range
Liquid cooling pumps must perform reliably in outdoor conditions. Topsflo pumps undergo rigorous high- and low-temperature testing and remain stable in extreme environments as cold as -40°C.

4.Enhanced Safety
Pump safety directly impacts the overall safety of energy storage systems. Topsflo pumps include six safety features, such as idling protection, locked rotor protection, overcurrent protection, and constant power output, ensuring reliable operation.

5.High Reliability
Long-term stable operation is crucial for liquid-cooled systems. Topsflo’s advanced testing facilities, exceeding CNAS national laboratory standards, ensure pump reliability and durability. Their products are certified by CQC, CE, RoHS, REACH, WRAS, FDA, NSF, and other international standards.

The Growing Potential of Liquid Cooling
Temperature control is pivotal for ensuring the safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of energy storage systems. As a long-term trend, liquid-cooled energy storage offers vast potential. Topsflo Pump is committed to collaborating with energy storage companies to promote sustainable development in the industry.