Renewable Energy Startup Building US Green Heat Storage Plant

TIGI Solar, a renewable energy startup that generates and stores heat from the sun – even in cold weather – will be implementing its system for a large industrial plant in California.

Together with the global renewable heat storage company Solid Solar Energy Systems, TIGI signed a $5 million deal with US-based Key Equipment Finance (KEF), which purchased the project. 

TIGI’s solar thermal collectors use unique transparent insulation on the sun-facing side, allowing them to let in the solar irradiation (the sun’s light energy), while simultaneously minimizing heat energy losses. It therefore generates net energy, reaching temperatures needed by industry, including in the winter months and in colder climates.

The system consists of a 4,000 square meter solar thermal collector array, and advanced thermal storage, control and cloud services, which significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions from the plant.

The project is supported by the California Solar Initiative program (CSI), with an incentive to transition to green energy and reduce harmful greenhouse gasses.

Heat represents approximately 50 percent of the world’s end-use energy and is generated almost completely by burning of fossil fuels. It is responsible for 55 percent of global energy-related emissions, much larger than global electricity emissions.

With its patented technology, TIGI says it can offer complete solutions to large heat users, both industrial and commercial.

“The world is fighting one of its worst-ever energy crises,” said Zvika Klier, CEO at TIGI Solar.

“The Russia-Ukraine conflict and surging gas prices have sparked a heightened focus on heat production, prompting key players to decide on abandoning natural gas in favor of renewable energy sources.

“We are confident that our solutions, offered as heat-as-a-service, marks the way forward for the transition of heat energy, and meets the needs of our customers by beating the high costs of fossil fuels and minimizing CO2 emissions,” he said.

“We are pleased to partner with Solid and KEF to provide heat-as-a-service for this large industrial factory in the US, which in turn can be duplicated across their different sites globally.”