In a groundbreaking development, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley, have unveiled a new technology that could transform how the world cools homes, food, and industrial systems. The method, called ionocaloric cooling, may one day replace traditional refrigeration systems that rely on harmful greenhouse gases.
Modern cooling systems depend heavily on hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) — potent greenhouse gases that trap thousands of times more heat than carbon dioxide. As part of the Kigali Amendment, countries have pledged to reduce HFC production by 80% over the next 25 years, making the search for cleaner cooling technologies more urgent than ever.
A New Sustainable Cooling Solution
The newly developed ionocaloric process works by manipulating how materials absorb and release heat during phase changes — such as melting or freezing. By introducing charged ions into the system, researchers can control a material’s melting point, creating a powerful and repeatable cooling cycle.
“The landscape of refrigerants is an unsolved problem,” said Drew Lilley, a mechanical engineer at Berkeley Lab. “We think the ionocaloric cycle has the potential to achieve efficiency, safety, and environmental sustainability all at once.”
This process mimics the way salt melts ice by changing how molecules interact. When applied to materials like ethylene carbonate (a compound derived from captured CO₂), the system produced a 25°C temperature change using less than one volt of electricity — a level of efficiency previously unseen in cooling science.
How Ionocaloric Cooling Works
In this method, an electric current moves ions through a material, altering its phase-change temperature and, consequently, its cooling capacity. The system not only avoids harmful gases but can also potentially be carbon-negative, as it uses CO₂-derived compounds.
According to Ravi Prasher, another Berkeley Lab engineer, the key challenge now lies in optimizing energy efficiency, cost, and low global warming potential (GWP) — all of which show “very promising” early results.
A recent 2025 study even demonstrated a nitrate-based salt system that can be recycled using electric fields, paving the way for large-scale and commercial applications.
The Future of Green Cooling
If perfected, ionocaloric cooling could revolutionize the refrigeration and HVAC industries, cutting carbon emissions, lowering operational costs, and improving energy efficiency worldwide. The same thermodynamic framework could even power heating systems, making it a versatile, all-in-one climate control technology.
“We’ve created a brand-new thermodynamic framework that combines ideas from multiple scientific fields,” said Prasher. “Now, it’s about testing materials and refining designs to make this a reality.”
The study has been published in Science, marking one of the most promising advances in sustainable cooling and climate technology in recent years.
