Imagine a giant battery that can store both heat and electricity from the sun to keep a factory running. Instead of relying on gas, this system uses a mix of solar panels and heat collectors to reach temperatures up to 250°C. It's like having a smart home energy system, but scaled up for heavy industrial machinery.
Industrial processes requiring mid-temperature heat (up to 250°C) rely heavily on expensive and carbon-intensive natural gas. Current solar solutions are often too fragmented to provide both the heat and electricity needed simultaneously.
A hybrid solar system featuring a 1 MWh flexible electric-boosted thermal storage (e-TES), low-cost collectors, and a smart hybrid controller.
If you are a blending plant dealing with high natural gas costs for heating—this project developed a hybrid ST-PV system that provides heat up to 250°C. It uses a 1 MWh thermal buffer to ensure steady energy supply, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
If you are a manufacturer dealing with volatile energy prices for processes up to 250°C—this project developed a smart hybrid controller. It optimizes the mix of solar thermal and PV power to lower peak demand and operational costs.
If you are an installer dealing with the inefficiency of single-source solar plants—this project developed a flexible e-TES storage system. This allows you to offer clients a combined heat and power solution with a proven TRL7 prototype.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not provided, but the project focuses on developing low-cost mid-temperature solar collectors to improve economic viability.
Yes, the project validates a prototype with ST up to 300 kWth and PV up to 20 kWp, and estimates that hundreds of equivalent sites could replicate this model.
Based on available project data, there is no specific mention of licensing terms, though the project involves 14 partners including 9 industry entities.
The system is designed to reduce dependency on natural gas by substituting it with solar heat and power for processes up to 250°C.
The project runs from 2024-01-01 to 2027-12-31, including a one-year test campaign at a Total Energies site.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven, with 9 industrial partners representing 64% of the group. This strong commercial presence, including a major player like Total Energies and partners across 9 countries, suggests the project is focused on market adoption rather than just academic research.
Contact the Commissariat a l Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) in France.
Contact us to connect with the INDHEAP consortium for pilot implementation.
