Building Ultra Cheap Energy Storage for Solar PV
18 days ago
- #thermal-storage
- #solar-energy
- #renewable-tech
- Standard Thermal is developing ultra-cheap energy storage for solar PV using large piles of dirt to store heat.
- The system converts excess solar electricity into heat, which is stored and later used to meet thermal demand, especially in winter.
- Target customers include solar developers with oversized arrays, isolated energy users reliant on propane/fuel oil, and industries needing process heat.
- The technology aims to repower coal plants by replacing coal-fired steam generation with stored heat, improving efficiency and reducing emissions.
- Thermal storage is cost-effective at less than $0.10/kWh, significantly cheaper than batteries, and scalable with minimal land requirements.
- Key advantages include using inexpensive materials (dirt), slow charge/discharge cycles suited for seasonal storage, and modular, co-located solar arrays.
- Challenges include engineering heat transfer systems, regulatory hurdles for off-grid solar, and maintaining ultra-low costs across components.
- The company is prototyping at a 100 kW test site, with plans for commercial deployment by 2026.
- Differentiation lies in focusing on long-duration (months) storage rather than competing with batteries for short-term cycling.
- The strategy involves scaling through project validation, financing, and partnerships, targeting global adoption.