Peter Horwath, CEOTemperature control is a critical component in industrial and commercial applications, including cold chain shipping, refrigeration systems, and energy-efficient buildings. Choosing materials with the right thermal properties is essential for storing, transferring and stabilizing heat energy within different operating environments.
Insolcorp manufactures and develops phase change materials (PCM) and works with customers to convert them into deployable products.
It has developed many practical, innovative temperature-control solutions, from ultra-low temperature cold chain applications to thermal energy storage systems and building technologies for improving energy efficiency. In a market where many players act as brokers or sellers of ready-made, generic products, Insolcorp develops new phase change formulations tailored to clients’ precise requirements, solving challenges that conventional insulation or static storage cannot address.
Founded in 2015 by industry veterans working in phase change technology, it initially focused on building energy applications before expanding into a broader platform centered on cold chain and thermal energy storage. As a turnkey thermal partner with U.S.-based, in-house manufacturing and deep material expertise, Insolcorp now guides projects straight from laboratory development to deployment. It engineers, prototypes, manufactures, tests, commercializes and scales temperature-specific PCM solutions for clients. “Our real strength lies in deeply understanding the materials, mastering their applications, and then engineering practical solutions that succeed thermodynamically and economically,” says Peter Horwath, CEO.
Driven by over 30 years of combined industry experience, Horwath founded the company with Michael Dunn, partner. Former president of the Phase Change Manufacturers Association, Horwath brings experience that positions Insolcorp as a hands-on partner for complex temperature-management challenges.
Advancing Cold Chain Solutions with Phase Change Science
How do phase change materials enable precise temperature control in cold chain applications?
PCMs are temperature-specific and dynamically active at defined transition points. They store and release thermal energy at precise temperatures. For example, at 0°C, water releases heat as it freezes and absorbs heat as it melts. Insolcorp applies that same thermodynamic principle across a wide spectrum of temperatures.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it formulated a -70°C material for use in ultra-cold freezer applications. The material was manufactured into “thermal bricks” and built into portable ultra-cold freezers used to transport vaccines, including those from Pfizer. When the units were unplugged during transport, PCM bricks maintained critical subzero temperatures, protecting vaccine vials during distribution.
Our real strength lies in deeply understanding the materials, mastering their applications, and then engineering practical solutions that succeed thermodynamically and economically.
PCMs also enhance energy efficiency in fixed systems. Walk-in and ultra-cold freezers, for example, can be retrofitted with PCM modules positioned around interior walls. These increase thermal mass, minimize temperature swings and reduce compressor cycling. In pharmaceutical facilities, research laboratories and university settings, Insolcorp has developed retrofit kits capable of maintaining ultra-cold conditions for up to 24 hours during power outages. These kits can deliver measurable energy savings of up to 30 percent in some ultra-cold freezer installations by stabilizing internal temperatures and reducing system energy demand.
Advancing High-Temperature Thermal Applications
Why is thermal energy storage important for managing peak demand in energy systems?
Insolcorp harnesses phase change science for thermal energy storage, enabling cooling produced during off-peak hours to be stored in PCM tanks and later to support daytime air-conditioning demand. It engineers systems that operate at customized temperatures, including 5–6 °C for conventional HVAC applications. Buildings can charge these thermal storage tanks overnight and deploy the stored cooling capacity during peak daytime hours.
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Our customers can improve resilience, reduce energy consumption, and use thermal energy more intelligently.
PCM-based systems are also designed for hot water storage. Heat pump water heaters are highly efficient but often struggle to meet short bursts of high demand. Insolcorp’s thermal energy storage tanks allow facilities to charge stored thermal energy gradually and release it rapidly when demand spikes.
For instance, hotels can generate and store hot water overnight and meet peak morning demand without oversized water heating equipment. Compared to conventional water storage tanks, PCM-based systems offer significantly higher energy density and lower overall cost. Insolcorp has also developed techniques to reuse heat that would otherwise be wasted. It captures heat from digital infrastructure like crypto mining equipment, servers and data centers and stores it in PCM-based thermal batteries. The heat is repurposed to produce hot water for various facilities and industrial operations.
“Our customers can improve resilience, reduce energy consumption, and use thermal energy more intelligently,” says Horwath.
The versatility of phase change technology has led to unconventional applications. In one project, Insolcorp partnered with researchers at a Canadian university to apply this technology in a novel ecological context. The goal was to stabilize internal temperatures during critical reproductive periods, helping to mitigate bat population decline caused in part by temperature stress. The initiative contributed to broader recognition for innovation in energy-related science.
Efficiency Guaranteed
In what way does thermal energy storage improve efficiency and reduce equipment cycling?
Practicality is at the core of Insolcorp’s engineering philosophy. A smaller heater running continuously at an optimal rate is far more efficient than a larger unit that repeatedly fires up, overheats, shuts down, and cycles back on again. That constant ramping wastes energy and stresses equipment. Thermal energy storage provides the mechanism to solve this problem. By integrating a thermal energy storage battery, heat can be generated steadily at its most efficient operating point and stored until needed. Insolcorp first demonstrated this principle inside building envelopes and ceiling systems. Its ceiling tile product, which was later acquired by Armstrong World Industries, incorporated PCMs to stabilize indoor temperatures. Absorbing and releasing heat at defined transition points, the tiles reduced temperature swings and improved overall building efficiency.
Over the years, Insolcorp has delivered projects in more than 30 countries and in nearly every U.S. state.
Every solution is engineered to perform under real operating conditions while remaining economically viable at scale.
The company’s in-house laboratory supports custom PCM formulations to meet customer requirements such as temperature range, toxicity, recyclability and cost. Whether co-developing finished products or supplying bulk PCMs for major manufacturers, including Fortune 500 companies under strict confidentiality agreements, Insolcorp positions itself as a go-to engineering partner.
Built for Reality, Proven in Practice
Insolcorp’s technical depth is valuable in an industry where performance evaluation is still evolving. One of the persistent challenges in the PCM industry is the lack of standardized testing protocols.
Testing frameworks designed primarily for traditional insulation can evaluate thermal materials differently. Most building energy codes and testing standards are built around static insulation R-values, which measure resistance to heat flow under steady-state conditions. PCMs do not behave like static insulation during standardized R-value tests, so they often receive ratings that do not reflect their dynamic thermal performance. Products incorporating PCMs can struggle to fit within existing code frameworks, even when their overall energy impact is substantial.Despite these challenges, Insolcorp has built a reputation over decades for validating and commercializing new thermal solutions.
“The track record now underpins our next phase of growth,” says Horwath.
It is expanding its cold-chain solutions and thermal energy storage platforms, in applications tied to electrification, logistics and grid resilience. Energy demand is rising alongside digital infrastructure and delivery-based commerce, making thermal energy storage increasingly critical.
Developing custom phase change solutions for emerging applications, Insolcorp is positioning thermal energy storage as a practical backbone for next-generation thermal infrastructure.
