Hello fellow solar enthusiasts! I’ve come across some enlightening news about the ongoing developments in the solar industry and thought of sharing it with you. We’ll touch upon an innovative venture that incorporates solar arrays for homes or industrial applications with thermal storage systems, especially using firebricks. Let’s delve right into it.
An initiative in the solar arena is turning heads, with the idea to employ on-site renewable power, mainly solar, to heat up firebricks for storing energy for industrial applications. It’s a fascinating insight into how progressive strides in solar technology might change the way we approach industrial energy utilization and carbon footprint reduction.
Firebricks, mostly used in industrial processes or to generate electricity, can be heated to high temperatures using electrical energy. The intriguing update here is the introduction of solar-powered “heat batteries” to store this heat, making them an excellent candidate for solar companies looking for cutting-edge energy solutions.
The company behind this development, Rondo Energy, plans to install these thermal storage systems at two locations in Kentucky and Illinois. The primary goal is to render these sites carbon neutral by 2026 and 2028. What’s more, this shift to thermal storage systems will replace the current methane gas-fired heat, indicating a clear move towards cleaner, more sustainable energy options.
What makes this project significantly compelling for the solar industry is its potential to serve as a highly replicable blueprint for other solar companies. As the industry grows, resources like these may help more manufacturers integrate thermal batteries with intermittent solar power to achieve direct decarbonization.
The energy storage capacity of these heat batteries is impressive. Rondo Energy offers two sizes, with the larger system having an energy storage capacity of a massive 300 MWh, a peak charge rate of 70 MW-ac, a maximum discharge rate of 20 MW-thermal, and a mind-blowing round-trip efficiency of 98%.
In solar news, it’s exhilarating to see this kind of innovation at work. This endeavor is poised to redefine how we could use solar panels for homes or larger industrial applications in the future.
Indeed, the solar industry is entering a renaissance as an increasing number of solar companies are innovating and developing exciting technologies. This signals a future where we might see more efficient and cost-effective uses of solar power. Watch this space as we continue to bring you the latest and most exciting news in the solar sphere!
Original Articlehttps://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/09/16/onsite-renewables-expected-to-power-thermal-storage-at-two-industrial-sites/
