California-based Rondo Energy has begun operation of a 100 MWh industrial heat battery. This system operates fully automatically, supplying high-pressure steam continuously to a fuel production plant in California, powered exclusively by isolated solar energy.
A new model of clean industrial heat battery
During the day, an array of photovoltaic solar panels recharge the heating battery. At night and during non-sunny hours, the unit maintains
This system uses bricks and metallic cable as storage medium, simple materials that do not present leakage, fire or contamination risks. This allows it to be installed next to conventional gas boilers, easily integrating into existing steam networks. In addition, since it does not generate emissions, it does not require air permits for its operation.
The use of solar energy allows industries to replace gas consumption with a fixed, more predictable energy cost. In this way, the cost-saving implementation allows you to achieve a drastic reduction of Scope 1 emissions, helping companies to improve their competitiveness in markets with increasingly stringent environmental requirements.
The thermal coil has been adopted by food and beverage, cement and biofuel industries in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Rondo is currently working on five additional large-scale industrial projects, reinforcing the viability of this solution as a standard for global thermal decarbonization.
The Rondo thermal battery recharges only during the most economical hours of the day, maximizing the use of low-cost solar or grid electricity. This flexibility improves energy stability without compromising industrial process efficiency.
Rondo Energy designs its solutions specifically to integrate without modification into existing industrial equipment. With commercially available components, its thermal battery represents a mature, safe and fast option for large-scale deployment.
Source and photo: Rondo Energy
