Developing efficient and reliable energy storage system is as important as exploring new energy resources. Energy storage system can balance the periodic and quantitative mismatch between energy supply and energy demand and increase the energy efficiency. Industrial waster heat and renewable energy such as solar energy can be stored by the thermal energy storage (TES) system at high and low temperatures. TES system using underground rock carven is considered as an attractive alternative for large-scale storage, because of low thermal conductivity and chemical safety of surrounding rock mass. In this report, the development of available thermal energy storage methods and the characteristics of storage media were introduced. Based on some successful applications of cavern storage and high-temperature storage reported in the literature, the applicabilities and practicabilities of storage media and technologies for large-scale cavern thermal energy storage (CTES) were reviewed.

For the purpose of evaluating the eco-efficiency(EE) on surplus heat generated from industrial process, techniques of life cycle assessment are adopted in this study. Because it can be indicated both environmental impacts and economic benefits, EE is well known as a useful tool for symbiosis network on the sustainable development of new projects and businesses. To evaluate environmental impacts, the categories were divided into two areas of resource depletion and global warming potential. It can be seen that environmental impact increased a little but much higher economic benefit on the company, environmental performance and economic value were improved on the apartment by the district heating, respectively. In result, eco-industrial park(EIP) project on surplus heat should be found sustainable new business because the EE was in the area of fully positively eco-efficiency and, moreover resource depletion was taken place than the reduction of greenhouse gas.