Kajal Sheth
ICF Resource | Staff Engineer
Speaker
Track C: Decarbonization and Electrification Strategies
Session C3: Transportation and Grid Electrification
March 12, 2026 | 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Reducing Battery and HVAC Power Demand in Stationary Heavy-Duty Trucks
| Long-haul trucks in the United States consume an estimated 667 million gallons of fuel annually while idling, largely to support heating and cooling during driver rest periods. To address this inefficiency, our study investigated methods to reduce the electrical demand of climate control systems in Class 8 trucks through the application of load-reduction technologies. The analysis employed CoolCalc, a simulation tool developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) that combines heat transfer modeling with comprehensive U.S. weather datasets to replicate the operating conditions trucks experience throughout the year. Simulation outputs were post-processed and analyzed using MATLAB.
We evaluated the effectiveness of several mitigation strategies, including reflective white exterior paint, enhanced sleeper curtains, and Thinsulate insulation, by comparing their electrical load requirements against a baseline configuration. Results show that trucks operating in the eastern United States could achieve electrical demand reductions of up to 40%, while those in western regions could see reductions reaching approximately 55%. These reductions suggest that a battery with a capacity of 10 kWh would be sufficient to support HVAC operation year-round without the need for engine idling. Considering that many long-haul trucks already carry battery systems rated around 800 Ah, or roughly 9.6 kWh, the adoption of these technologies could significantly reduce or eliminate idling for air conditioning purposes. |
Speaker Bio
Kajal serves as a Sr. Staff Engineer at Reactivate. Prior to joining Reactivate, Kajal was a Development Engineer at ICF Resources responsible for designing and detailing commercial, solar PV plant projects for rooftop, carport, and ground mount systems with capacities ranging from 50kW to 500MW. Kajal prepared interconnection plans, permit plans, IFC plans and as-built plants while facilitating the process of utility interconnection and assisting in the application for permits. She has also conducted comprehensive analyses of solar energy production, leveraging site assessments and solar irradiance data to evaluate the feasibility of potential solar projects, among many other things. Unchanged: Kajal serves as a Sr. Staff Engineer at Reactivate. Prior to joining Reactivate, Kajal was a Development Engineer at ICF Resources responsible for designing and detailing commercial, solar PV plant projects for rooftop, carport, and ground mount systems with capacities ranging from 50kW to 500MW. Kajal prepared interconnection plans, permit plans, IFC plans and as-built plants while facilitating the process of utility interconnection and assisting in the application for permits. She has also conducted comprehensive analyses of solar energy production, leveraging site assessments and solar irradiance data to evaluate the feasibility of potential solar projects, among many other things. Kajal holds a Bachelor of Science in Energy Engineering from Maharashtra Institute of Technology in Pune India, and a Master of Science in Energy Management and Systems Engineering from the New York University. Kajal also has two post-graduate certifications from the University of Texas at Austin in Data Science and Business Analytics and AI and ML: Business Applications. Kajal is also certified in NABCEP and LEED AP BD+C.