CHF 3 million for Green-Y Energy’s compressed air energy storage solution

Bernese start-up Green-Y Energy has successfully closed a CHF 3 million investment round to advance the market launch of its innovative compressed air energy storage system.

Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Hasle bei Burgdorf (canton of Bern), Green-Y Energy develops and produces innovative compressed air energy storage systems for buildings and industrial applications. The company’s nine-member team contributes to the energy transition with sustainable energy solutions, supported by investors and through joint funding and research projects with leading Swiss universities.

Green-Y has announced the completion of a significant investment round, securing CHF 3 million to drive the market introduction of its novel compressed air energy storage (CAES) system for buildings and industrial applications. This cutting-edge technology, which stores electricity using compressed air, also provides heating and cooling, making it a sustainable alternative to traditional battery systems.

Pilot plant and market introduction

After four years of development, Green-Y successfully implemented a pilot plant with a total capacity of 100 kWh in 2023. This plant stores photovoltaic (PV) electricity from a commercial site, optimizing self-consumption. In residential and office buildings, the system can support space heating, hot water preparation, and cooling. In industrial settings, the generated heat and cold can be utilized in production processes.

“The additional capital allows us to further optimize our storage technology and advance the marketing of our systems,” said Rafik Barhoumi, CEO of Green-Y Energy AG. “We thank all our investors for their trust!”

Umut Ertan, Founder of Swiss Capital Global Impact Fund AG and lead investor, expressed his enthusiasm: “I am impressed by the technology and the team. Based on my experience in the real estate industry, I am convinced that this technology can solve one of the major challenges of the future, energy storage, in an environmentally friendly way.”

Sustainable compressed air technology

Green-Y’s compressed air storage systems avoid critical raw materials, have a long lifespan of 20 years, and are particularly efficient due to the integrated generation of heat and cold. When charging the storage system, air is compressed using electricity and stored at pressures up to 300 bar. During compression, heat of up to 60°C is generated, which can be used for building heating, hot water preparation, or as process heat. When discharging, the air is expanded to generate electricity, with the temperature dropping to as low as 3°C, producing cold that can be used for room cooling, server cooling, or as process cooling.

Christian Ochsenbein, Head of the Swiss Battery Technology Center, confirmed the benefits of multiple uses: “Green-Y’s compressed air energy storage is economically and ecologically sensible when the storage of electrical energy is combined with the use of heat or cold. Therefore, compressed air storage is particularly suitable for neighborhoods, larger office buildings, and industry.”