Book excerpt: Heat and Cold Storage 1 is dedicated to sensible and latent heat storage processes. Beginning with some theoretical reminders, this book presents the main situations of low-temperature and high-temperature sensible storage for electricity generation. It also analyzes latent storage on phase-change materials (PCMs) from a fundamental standpoint, presenting the mechanisms to prepare PCMs and their integration into heat and cold storage processes. The most promising materials are presented, along with ways of improving the materials studied. Notions of technico-economic profitability are also defined. Finally, the book looks at heat storage in thermodynamic solar power plants and the wide variety of physical storage principles involved.