Developments in caloric measurements, materials, and devices at Calorics 2024.

Abstract

Abstract: Heating and cooling combined constitute the world's largest form of end-use energy and the largest source of carbon emissions. It is therefore interesting to explore heat pumps based on caloric materials, which offer promising and environmentally friendly alternatives to gas combustion and vapor compression. The possibility of replacing these traditional methods of heating and cooling motivates the current research on caloric materials and devices. Here, we report the latest developments from the second biennial Calorics conference.

Graphical abstract:

Highlights: Caloric materials offer environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional heating and cooling technologies, addressing global energy and carbon emission challenges. The latest developments on caloric measurements, materials and devices were presented at the second biennial Calorics conference in Cambridge (UK).

Discussion: How can caloric technologies be made more energy efficient to ensure they outperform traditional vapor-compression systems?What are the most significant barriers to scaling caloric materials and devices from lab-scale prototypes to commercial applications?Could integrating caloric technologies with renewable energy sources, such as solar or waste heat recovery, offer sustainable solutions for heating and cooling?