For more than a century, refrigerators and air conditioners have relied on vapor-compression systems that circulate gases to move heat. A startup called Barocal believes it has found a radically different alternative using solid plastic crystals that heat and cool when compressed or released. According to a report from TechCrunch, the company has developed prototypes that already perform at levels comparable to conventional refrigeration compressors while potentially consuming less energy and eliminating climate-damaging refrigerant leaks.
Barocal’s technology is based on a phenomenon known as the barocaloric effect, where certain solid materials rapidly change temperature under pressure. The startup’s founder, Xavier Moya, has spent years researching materials capable of absorbing and releasing heat through mechanical compression rather than chemical refrigerants. The company’s materials belong to a class known as plastic crystals, which are already used in products such as paints and plastics.
Inside these materials, molecules normally rotate freely. When compressed, molecular motion decreases, causing the material to release heat. Once pressure is removed, the material absorbs heat and cools down. Barocal channels this process using water to transport heat between the cooling system and a radiator. Because the system relies on solids instead of gases, it avoids the leakage problems associated with hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants, many of which have global warming impacts far greater than carbon dioxide.
To commercialize the technology, Barocal recently secured a $10 million seed funding round backed by investors including Breakthrough Energy Discovery, Cambridge Enterprise Ventures, IP Group, and World Fund. The company plans to focus initially on large commercial HVAC systems and industrial refrigeration, where efficiency improvements could produce major cost savings and emissions reductions.
Researchers have studied barocaloric materials for years, but scaling them into commercially viable systems has remained difficult. Barocal’s progress suggests solid-state cooling may finally be moving closer to practical deployment. If successful, the technology could help reshape refrigeration and air conditioning at a time when energy demand and climate concerns are placing growing pressure on conventional cooling systems.