Bond A., Anderson M.G., Beachnau B.
Icarus RT, Inc., US
Keywords: energy storage, organic Rankine cycle, PV cells, solar, thermal
Current PV technology is inefficient, converting only about 21% of solar energy into usable power at the ideal temperature of 25 °C. Panels often reach temperatures of 65– 75 °C, significantly reducing production. Still, commercial and industrial PV plus storage is expected to grow from $8.6 billion in 2020 to $30.1 billion in 2030. Icarus RT, Inc. offers a novel photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) solar plus storage cogeneration system for commercial and utility scale applications. The hybrid system cools PV panels by extracting waste heat, collecting and storing thermal energy, and converting thermal energy into hot water and/or additional electric power on demand (i.e., after sunset) using an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). Overall, Icarus provides improved panel efficiency, increased power output, energy storage for power and/or hot water, and continuous grid reliability at a lower cost without the environmental downsides of Li-ion batteries.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: TechConnect Briefs 2021
Published: October 18, 2021
Pages: 211 - 214
Industry sector: Energy & Sustainability
Topics: Catalysis, Energy Storage
ISBN: 978-0-578-99550-2