Partner Profile
Exergyn
Exergyn is a clean energy company pioneering refrigerant-free heat pump technology using shape memory alloys.
Location
Ireland
Category
Clean Tech
Exergyn is a Dublin‑based clean‑energy company leading the commercial‑scale use of shape memory alloys (SMAs) to deliver heating and cooling without refrigerants. Exergyn brings together a team of engineers and material scientists who combine decades of research into smart metals with a practical vision for real‑world energy efficiency.
The company is bringing solid‑state thermal technology to market as a cleaner alternative to conventional systems dependent on F‑gases and other high‑global‑warming‑potential refrigerants. By using the intrinsic movement of metal rather than the evaporation and condensation of chemical fluids, Exergyn’s technology eliminates one of the most significant sources of greenhouse‑gas emissions from the built environment.
Driven by the global imperative for cleaner temperature control, Exergyn’s mission is to transform how heat is moved through the world’s energy systems. By replacing refrigerants with intelligent metals, the company is helping accelerate the transition to net‑zero heating and cooling, setting a new benchmark for sustainability, safety, and efficiency in thermal technology.
Rethinking Heating and Cooling
For years, refrigerants have been known as a major environmental challenge. Many conventional refrigerants contribute to global warming, and some have also been linked to ozone depletion. As the need for cooling and heating grows, so does the urgency to find cleaner alternatives. The solution lies in moving away from harmful refrigerant-based systems and toward technologies that deliver the same performance with far less environmental impact.
This is where Exergyn technology offers a different path: by using shape memory alloy (SMA) technology instead of conventional refrigerants, it provides a cleaner and more sustainable approach to heating and cooling.
Rather than relying on gases with high global warming potential, Exergyn’s system uses advanced solid-state materials that can efficiently transfer heat through repeated cycles of compression and release. This enables heating and cooling with lower environmental risk, while supporting the transition to more sustainable energy systems.
A Metal that Remembers
Exergyn is redefining the future of heating and cooling through its advancing use of shape memory alloy (SMA) technology — a class of metals that can “remember” their original shape and return to it when heated. This unique ability allows the material to transform small temperature changes into mechanical movement, creating an entirely new possibilities for how energy can be converted and used.
At the core of Exergyn’s heat pump systems are stacks of finely engineered nitinol and nickel titanium SMA plates. As they repeatedly alternate between internal solid structures, they absorb and release heat with exceptional efficiency. This enables solid‑state heating and cooling, an entirely different principle from conventional systems that rely on the evaporation and condensation of gases.
While SMAs are most commonly associated with biomedical applications, Exergyn was the first company to apply this technology to the energy industry. Beyond simply replacing traditional heat pumps, Exergyn’s work demonstrates how intelligent materials can help decarbonise one of the largest sources of global energy consumption.
How does Exergyn help address climate-related risks?
Exergyn’s technology directly tackles several key climate‑related risks by replacing high‑impact refrigerants with a clean, solid‑state alternative. Its SMA core is zero GWP, non‑toxic, non‑flammable, and cannot leak, offering a safer and more resilient substitute for conventional systems. This fundamental material shift removes substances associated with ozone depletion and greenhouse‑gas emissions, ensuring full alignment with tightening global environmental regulations and refrigerant phase‑down policies.
Beyond that, Exergyn’s solid‑state design enhances long‑term operational resilience. With minimal moving parts and reusable cores, the technology greatly reduces maintenance requirements, service interventions, and end‑of‑life waste. It also improves safety by eliminating risks associated with high‑pressure systems and flammable refrigerants.
Together, these qualities position Exergyn’s technology not only as an innovative solution for heating and cooling, but also as a strategic contribution to building cleaner, more enduring infrastructure for an energy‑efficient future.
Exergyn at the Antarctica Ice Station
An Exergyn engineer joined Robert Swan on his Ice Station expedition to Antarctica, a mission dedicated to science, education, and raising awareness. Operating from a fully renewable base powered by solar panels and battery storage, with Starlink providing internet access, the team worked in one of the most remote environments on Earth.
The mission focused on two main objectives: first, to test and film the Exergyn rig inside its case under Antarctic conditions; and second, to join the live broadcasts from the Ice Station to as many schools as possible, enabling students to connect with Antarctica in real time for the first time.
2025 PARTNER PROFILES
Entreprise Générale du Cobalt
Exergyn
