Solar Thermal
When 2GreeenEnergy was launched in 2009, solar thermal with molten salt energy storage appeared to be a great solution.
Yet it fizzled out when the cost of energy from wind and solar PV fell like a stone. California’s Ivanpah facility is in the process of shutting down.
Having said that, it looks like some folks in Spain are still working on it.
Concentrated Solar Power troughs and towers are losing ground for a variety of reasons. Troughs are limited by the boiling point of thermal oils (390C) which cannot even “top up” the 560C capacity of the molten salts they use for storage, and towers are very wasteful uses of land, okay for desert areas, but not so for areas where land is not free or cheap.
We are working on a CSP system (sets of troughs) that can create 850C “torches” of pure air suitable for the best, cleanest, cheapest heat storage on the planet, so-called packed-beds filled with geological material which our German partners will supply. Our system creates managed geothermal-like bodies that solve the 24/7/365 problem all our competitors have. No toxic substances, no long and tenuous supply lines, very long life-spans, and no recycling issues. It is PERFECT for AI and data centres (as well as many other smaller markets). But we cannot get off the ground because our system, ironically enough, is too revolutionary. We have partners and funders waiting for a prototype, but we cannot find patient, visionary investors who will kickstart us.
Interesting stuff!
As you may know if you’ve been following us for a while, we used to work diligently to find sources of investment capital for ideas like yours. We eventually gave up, but that is not to say that you should too.
Best wishes.