Halotechnics improves solar energy storage for CSP

Concentrated solar power (CSP) brings a value to the energy table that photovoltaic technology (PV) just doesn't have. That's the ability to store daytime heat energy from the sun for use when the sun is down. CSP can act as 'partially dispatchable' power instead of the intermittent and daylight-only power which limits PV's value and strikes fear in the heart of Independent System Operators (ISOs), who tend to favor more consistent and dispatchable power sources. CSP uses the sun's energy, concentrated with mirrors, to heat a fluid and drive a turbine. There are 'trough' and the more efficient 'power tower' architectures. Halotechnics is in the business of high-throughput chemical and materials discovery. Halotechnics is specifically targeting new high-temperature storage materials in the molten salt and molten glass family for CSP storage applications. The eight-employee startup has screened 20,000 unique materials in molten salt and molten glass and has filed seven patents.