Jaicky Kumar, co-founder and CEO of Voltanova-a depth company incubated by the Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID) at the Indian Institute of Science (Iisc)- PV -Magazine About the company’s thermal battery system and how it relates to lithium -based energy storage.
PV Magazine: What role can thermal energy storage systems play in tackling the intermittentie -challenging with renewable energy? How do these systems relate to battery storage and pumped storage systems?
Thermal energy storage systems help to resolve the intermittententie challenge of renewable energy by storing excess force as heat and sending it when needed for long-term, cost-effective energy storage that makes it possible 24/7 clean energy. This is especially crucial for industrial sectors, where the demand for continuous energy at high temperature cannot be reliable by intermittent renewable energy sources or conventional batteries.
Thermal energy storage systems not only stabilize the energy supply, but also reduce the dependence on vulnerable global supply chains, because they can be built using abundant, locally available materials-in contrast to lithium-ionbatteries that depend on scarce, imported minerals.
Given the current Supply Chain provisions for the storage of lithium batteries, do you think the thermal battery system can be a feasible option with 100% domestic purchasing?
The thermal battery system of Voltanova is a very feasible alternative to storage of lithium ions with the potential for 100% domestic purchasing. In contrast to lithium batteries that depend on imported critical minerals, Voltanova uses materials that are abundantly available and factory in India. This makes it a resilient and scalable solution, particularly suitable for industrial energy storage and back -up applications for grids.
The most important advantages are one fifth of the costs of lithium battery storage, 100% domestic purchasing with abundant materials, tailored to make in India & Atmanirbhar Bharat [self-reliant India] Goals, simpler production with the help of existing industrial possibilities, very scalable and modular design, no exposure to worldwide risks in the field of battery retention chain and a longer lifetime and lower degradation than lithium batteries.
What are the challenges in building these systems and how did you conquer them?
Building a thermal energy storage system at high temperature includes tackling complex challenges on material sciences, product design, thermal efficiency and system integration. These include managing extreme temperatures (2,000 ° C), minimizing heat loss for a long duration, guaranteeing a long service life and safety and meeting cost benchmarks that defeat fossil fuels.
At Voltanova we have conquered this with a first principle approach, deep R&D and fast prototyping-it developing a system that is not only efficient and affordable, but also modular and retrofitable for existing industrial infrastructure and making it seamless for customers in weeks. The system is designed for heavy industries and scalable to applications at grid level.
In particular, we have conquered the following important challenges:
Extreme temperatures: Developed own insulation and structural systems to efficiently maintain heat at ~ 2000 ° C.
Material selection: Viewed powerful, locally available materials built for long -term thermal stability.
Long -term energy storage: Developed to minimize heat loss and to deliver a high return efficiency over several weeks.
Costs: Designed for a fifth of the costs of lithium batteries through modular design and supply chain-localization.
Retrofittabilization: The system built to integrate with existing steam, hot air or power infrastructure, reducing the switching costs for industries.
AI-driven management: Integrated smart controls to optimize energy consumption for cases for heat and power consumption.
What are your immediate priorities–Technical refinement, partnerships or production production?
Our immediate priorities are aimed at building and validating our product on an industrial scale in Real-World institutions, the recording of customers feedback and refining the core technology. We quickly go in the direction of full product willingness and the fulfillment of initial customer orders. Our goal is to ensure that the thermal energy storage system of Voltanova is not only technically advanced, but also commercially viable and scalable in various industrial applications.
Where do you see Voltanova in the next three years in terms of market presence and technological evolution?
In the next three years, Voltanova wants to help industries to prevent millions of tons of CO₂ emissions by making a shift of fossil fuels possible. Caused to India’s net and energy security goals, the company develops a made-in-India solution that enables factories to work reliably, makes pressure on the electricity grid and makes clean energy more accessible and affordable.
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