Informal "Fireside Chats" between a Technology Solutions Firm and an expert in their field about topics of mutual interest in person in our East Village office.

Tête-à-Tech

Join Riad El Soufi (Product Manager at Rondo) and Noah Landow (Founder and CEO at Macktez) for a conversation about one of the rarely discussed challenges and opportunities in decarbonization: industrial heat or electric thermal energy storage (ETES). There are many different approaches to this type of energy storage but the basic principle relies on converting electricity to heat at high efficiency (i.e., using resistive heaters like the ones in a toaster), storing that heat in stable material with minimal losses and when that heat is needed, discharging it from the system in the form of hot water, steam or hot air. Each industrial process is unique, so the ability to adjust the delivery requirements like temperature and pressure is essential.       

Availability of large amounts (GWhs) of intermittent electricity presents an opportunity to capture power in efficient ways at scale (and in doing compete with the current low cost of natural gas). ETES converts that electricity to heat, stores it and provides it to industrial processes when needed. Simplicity of systems, safety and sustainability of materials, high efficiency and implementability at a large scale makes this type of storage dramatically better at industrial scales than more widely discussed electrochemical batteries -- Even better, they’re dirt cheap!

Riad is a climate tech professional passionate about developing and implementing solutions to address climate change. He brings a diverse background in product management, consulting, and engineering to this important work from his time at Bain working with energy ministries and from his time at Harvard GSD & SEAS focused on climate and sustainability projects. He sees the ETES sector as one of the most exciting decarbonization opportunities of our time.

During this engaging conversation, we will explore the critical role of industrial heat in global greenhouse gas emissions and the need for innovative decarbonization strategies, discuss the technical and economic complexities of transitioning away from fossil fuels in these large scale industrial processes, and learn about the role of thermal batteries in decarbonizing industrial heat and their potential impact on a global scale.

Join us at the Macktez office after work, over light snacks and sips, for a thought-provoking discussion on an a trio of often overlooked aspects of climate action: energy storage, heat, and industry.

Storing Energy is the Hard Part: Keep it Simple with Heat