While the advancement of solar and wind energy over the past two decades is impressive, achieving complete decarbonization necessitates various complementary technologies. This is crucial because renewable sources provide energy intermittently and cannot supply the high temperatures required for many industrial applications directly.
247Solar is leading the charge in developing high-temperature concentrated solar power systems equipped with overnight thermal energy storage, enabling them to deliver continuous power and industrial-grade heat around the clock.
The company’s modular systems serve multiple functions: they can function as standalone microgrids for communities, power remote sites like mines and farms, or enhance the capabilities of existing wind and conventional solar farms, ensuring 24/7 renewable energy use while reducing grid dependency.
“My primary motivation for developing this system was to address the issue of intermittency,” states 247Solar CEO Bruce Anderson. “Solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind alone won’t lead us to zero emissions. Even with PV, wind, and batteries, we face challenges due to unpredictable weather and the high costs of current battery systems over extended periods. We need a solution that functions 24 hours a day.”
The foundation of the company’s innovative system is a high-temperature heat exchanger designed by the late MIT Professor Emeritus David Gordon Wilson. He co-founded the company alongside Anderson. This heat exchanger is integrated into what Anderson describes as a traditional jet-engine-like turbine, allowing it to create power through the circulation of ambient pressure heated air, all without combustion or harmful emissions — a significant industry milestone.
The operational process of this system is straightforward: each 247Solar setup utilizes a field of sun-tracking mirrors, known as heliostats, to concentrate sunlight on the summit of a central tower. This tower includes a proprietary solar receiver that heats the air to approximately 1,000 degrees Celsius at atmospheric pressure. This heated air is then channeled to power 247Solar’s turbines, generating 400 kilowatts of electricity and 600 kilowatts of thermal energy. Moreover, some of the hot air is directed into a long-duration thermal energy storage system, where it is used to heat solid materials that maintain the heat for later use, particularly when sunlight is scarce.
“We provide round-the-clock electricity and a combined heat and power option, capable of delivering heat up to 970 degrees Celsius for industrial needs,” Anderson elaborates. “It’s a remarkably adaptable system.”
The company’s inaugural deployment is set to occur with a significant utility provider in India. If this initial project is successful, 247Solar aims to expand rapidly among other utilities, corporations, and communities worldwide.
Innovative Concentrated Solar Solutions
Anderson has maintained connections with his MIT network since graduating in 1973. He directed MIT’s Industrial Liaison Program (ILP) from 1996 to 2000 and became an alumni member of the MIT Corporation in 2013. The ILP serves as a bridge between businesses and MIT’s network of students, faculty, and alumni to spark innovation. This experience significantly influenced Anderson’s career trajectory.
“It was a captivating position,” Anderson recounts. “Two pivotal outcomes emerged: I realized that I thrive as an entrepreneur outside of a university setting and was continually inspired by the groundbreaking innovations coming from MIT.”
After stepping down from the director role, Anderson initiated a startup incubator, collaborating with MIT professors to launch new companies. Among those was Wilson, the inventor of the new heat exchanger and ceramic turbine. Together, they assembled a small team in the early 2000s to commercialize the technology.
With a background in solar energy acquired during his master’s thesis at MIT in the 1970s, the team recognized that the heat exchanger enabled a unique approach to concentrated solar power. In 2010, they were awarded a $6 million development grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, only to face setbacks when their first solar receiver was damaged in transit, leading to financial difficulties.
It wasn’t until 2015 that Anderson secured funding to revive the company. By this time, an advanced high-temperature metal alloy replaced the original ceramic heat exchanger designed by Wilson. The COVID-19 pandemic further delayed plans to establish a demonstration facility in Arizona, but strong customer interest has kept the company engaged. While concentrated solar power isn’t universally applicable — with Arizona’s clear skies being ideal compared to Florida’s haziness — discussions are ongoing with communities in various locations, including parts of the U.S., India, Africa, and Australia where the technology could excel.
Currently, the company is increasingly advocating for the integration of its systems with traditional solar PV. This combination allows customers to enjoy the benefits of cost-effective solar energy during the day while utilizing 247Solar’s resources at night.
“This hybrid approach ensures we can maximize energy utilization from sunny days,” Anderson notes. “Think of it like a hybrid vehicle: at times, you draw energy from one source, and at other times, you switch to another.”
Additionally, the company offers its HeatStorE thermal batteries as independent systems. These thermal storage units can be heated by circulating air through an electric coil warmed by electricity sourced either from the grid or standalone solar and wind systems. They can store heat for nine hours or more on a single charge, which can then be utilized as electricity plus industrial heat at 250 degrees Celsius or as heat only, reaching up to 970 degrees Celsius.
Anderson asserts that 247Solar’s thermal battery solution costs about one-seventh that of lithium-ion batteries per kilowatt-hour of energy produced.
Expanding a Revolutionary Model
The organization maintains its adaptability to align with the varying routes customers may take toward comprehensive decarbonization.
In addition to the project in India, the company is actively engaged in discussions with off-grid communities in the United States, mining companies globally, and the government of a small African nation. Anderson anticipates that their next contract will likely be with an off-grid community in the U.S. that currently depends on diesel generators.
The firm has also entered a partnership with a financial institution to access capital dedicated to funding its projects and directly selling clean energy to consumers, an approach that Anderson believes will facilitate quicker growth compared to solely producing entire systems for individual clients.
As 247Solar scales its deployment efforts, Anderson emphasizes their role in helping clients respond to growing pressure from both governmental entities and local communities.
“Emerging economies in regions like Africa don’t have a viable alternative to fossil fuels for achieving constant electricity,” Anderson explains. “Our ownership and operational costs are less than half those of diesel generators. Today, there’s a clear desire among customers to eliminate emissions. Communities, mining operations, and entire countries are expressing a need to move away from diesel consumption.”
Photo credit & article inspired by: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
