Green-Y Energy Develops an Eco-friendly Heating, Cooling, and Storage System

Green-Y Energy AG invented a groundbreaking compressed-air energy storage system for use in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. The company was founded in 2020 and is based in Hasle, Switzerland. Green-Y is backed by investors and receives additional funding through research projects supported by Innosuisse (the Swiss Innovation Agency) and the Swiss Climate Foundation. Such projects are carried out in collaboration with top universities in Switzerland.

With patented compressed-air technology the storage system combines a battery and a heat pump in a single system to store electricity that is generated by rooftop solar panels, wind turbines, or the grid. In 2023 Green-Y successfully implemented a pilot plant (a smaller-scale version of the system) to test that everything worked correctly. The pilot plant had a total capacity of 100 kWh (kilowatt-hours), which, for example, could power a typical home that uses about 30 kWh per day for about three days.

“As a startup, it was necessary from the beginning that we carefully use the resources available to us,” recounts Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer Patrick Baumann. “As we continuously developed new prototypes, the amount of SOLIDWORKS® CAD data that had to be efficiently integrated into existing processes increased significantly, producing a number of challenges.” To continue its upward trajectory, the company needed more advanced technology tools to manage its vastly greater amount of data.

Advanced Technologies to Accelerate Growth

Green-Y evaluated solutions that would enable it to continue to leverage its existing SOLIDWORKS CAD data while addressing the challenges associated with its growth. The system needed to make both internal and external collaboration more effective: The company’s development team of in-house designers make parts and create CAD models, and its external specialists conduct finite element analysis.

“Teamwork is a crucial factor in driving innovation, so a solution was sought that would promote the flow of information and facilitate communication between the different departments and with external partners,” Baumann notes.

Green-Y implemented solutions from the 3DEXPERIENCE® Works portfolio to enable its seamless collaboration capabilities that helped ease implementation and thus move operations forward as quickly as possible. “The 3DEXPERIENCE platform offered a cloud-based, scalable solution specifically tailored to the needs of a growing startup,” Baumann continues. “With the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, we were able to make better use of our resources, improve collaboration, accelerate product development, and increase the quality of prototypes.”

Compared with on-premises solutions, a cloud platform requires less investment in IT infrastructure and maintenance. “The [3DEXPERIENCE] platform enables the models to be stored centrally so that everyone involved can access them in real time,” adds Baumann.

Since implementing 3DEXPERIENCE Works solutions, Green-Y has also realized a number of benefits. “As part of the analysis and optimization, a series of simulations are carried out, including finite element analyses, to check the structural integrity. This type of collaboration has dramatically improved and become more effective using 3DEXPERIENCE Works solutions.” Baumann also notes, “We have been able to noticeably increase the reuse rate of designs. This reuse of proven design patterns and modules leads to an additional shortening of our development cycles.”

Baumann concludes, “Last but not least, expanded simulation options and more precise documentation on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform have led to a reduction in design errors and scrap and rework costs, which can be quite costly. The platform has thus proven to be a crucial tool for generating sustainable growth and efficiently implementing our innovations.”

The SOLIDWORKS for Startups program offers free SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD, simulation, data management and other product development software that scales with your startup needs. The program participants also benefit from free training, co-marketing resources and networking opportunities. Apply now and see if your startup qualifies.

Additionally, the following links to free resources were handpicked by the SOLIDWORKS for Startups program staff to help you on your startup journey: How to Get Funding for a Startup Business and Best Free Resources and Tools for Startups