Photoncycle, storage solution based on solid hydrogen, +20 times the density of a lithium-ion battery
Photoncycle, storage solution based on solid hydrogen, +20 times the density of a lithium-ion battery.
In the solar energy sector, interseasonal energy storage has been a constant challenge. The ability to harness excess solar energy from the summer months into the winter has been a very difficult goal to achieve, with existing solutions such as batteries falling short due to prohibitive costs and limited lifespans. Hydrogen, despite its clean burning properties, has been relegated due to its inefficiency and high costs.
Photoncycle, a startup from Norway, has been working on a solution. The startup claims its solid hydrogen-based technology can store energy more efficiently in an ammonia synthesis reactor . This technology promises to realize storage more economically than any battery or liquid hydrogen solution on the market.
Lithium-ion batteries use expensive metals. Their stuff is super cheap: storing 10,000 kilowatt-hours costs about $1,500, so it’s almost nothing. Its storage solution is 20 times the density of a lithium-ion battery, and you don’t lose power . A system where you can store energy over time, allowing for seasonal storage. It is completely different from traditional batteries.
Photoncycle uses water and electricity to produce hydrogen . This is not uncommon if you have followed fuel cell vehicle technology . However, the company’s approach incorporates an innovative twist: a high-temperature reversible fuel cell. This advanced fuel cell can produce hydrogen and generate electricity within the same unit.
The core of Photoncycle’s innovation lies in its treatment of hydrogen. They process the hydrogen and then use their technology to convert it and store it in solid form. The company claims that this storage method is not only safe, due to the non-flammable and non-explosive nature of the solid state, but also highly efficient. It allows the storage of hydrogen at densities approximately 50% higher than liquid hydrogen, presenting a significant advance in hydrogen storage solutions. These innovations form the cornerstone of Photoncycle’s system, facilitating safe and dense hydrogen storage, which the company says is a major step forward in energy technology.
Current clean energy solutions, such as rooftop solar , are limited by inconsistent supply due to the unpredictable nature of weather conditions. A robust and reusable energy storage solution could close these gaps, ensuring a stable energy supply when these renewable sources face inevitable intermittent periods.
Placing energy storage alongside the home that generates the power effectively allows homes to go off the grid. Photoncycle says it has tested and worked on the core components of its solution, the next step is to integrate it into a system. If successful, the company says it can seriously challenge Powerwall, Tesla’s lithium-ion battery solution.
Characteristics.
- Electricity Generation in Single Family Homes : In Europe, electricity generation through rooftop photovoltaic (PV) panels is typically 4-15 times higher in summer than in winter. However, the energy demand for electricity and heating is 2-3 times higher in winter.
- Challenge for Distribution Networks : A growing number of homes with rooftop PV makes it increasingly challenging for distribution networks to accommodate surplus electricity in summer. In addition, the increasing demand for electricity in winter, due to the decarbonization of heating and the conversion of cars to electric, also puts pressure on the grid infrastructure.
- Photoncycle Storage Technology : Develops technology that allows surplus electricity from rooftop PVs and the grid to be placed into long-term storage located next to the house, using an electrolyzer. Green hydrogen produced from water and electricity is stored as a solid in the storage system developed by Photoncycle. Energy is released on demand to meet electricity and heating requirements at home and at the grid level.
- Gravimetric Energy Density : Photoncycle’s energy storage solution has a gravimetric energy density of approximately 3.5 kWh/kg, compared to 0.3 kWh/kg for a lithium-ion battery. High gravimetric and volumetric energy density combined with low energy storage costs pave the way for affordable seasonal storage at the household level.
- Storage Capacity : A 3 m³ storage system can store up to 10,000 kWh of energy, enough to store all excess electricity production in the summer season in most homes.
- Harnessing the Potential of Rooftops : The technology will allow households to use the full potential of their roofs for energy production, using all the generation from their solar PVs internally. Long-term storage will allow households to take advantage of seasonal fluctuations in energy prices, importing electricity from the grid in periods when prices are low and exporting electricity to the grid when prices are high.
- Development and Validation : Based on a feasibility study carried out by SINTEF, a leading European scientific research institute, a team of engineers and scientists at Photoncycle developed and validated individual components for our system in 2022. These were integrated and scaled into a working prototype of our core technology in the Photoncycle laboratory in 2023. A full-scale pilot will be developed in 2024 and a first product will be launched in the residential market in 2025.
- System Patent : A system patent was submitted to the European Patent Office (EPO) in June 2021. In October 2022, the EPO confirmed that the technology Photoncycle develops is novel and inventive, the two criteria for obtaining a patent. . The patent application will move to the national phase in early 2024.