Project description
Innovative seasonal energy storage system on the path to commercialisation
The aim of the EU-funded Powerbox project is to commercialise the innovative energy storage solution developed by Solenco. Solenco Powerbox allows homes and businesses to cheaply store their own generated energy, for hours or whole seasons, with over 90 % conversion efficiency. The system combines an electrolyser and a fuel cell in one unit which transform electricity into hydrogen, store it indefinitely and then convert hydrogen back into electricity and heat with minimal losses. Heat output takes the form of hot water at a rated temperature of 80 °C. The system has zero-carbon footprint and works anywhere, allowing homes and businesses to be heated and powered with intermittent energy sources and even feed excess power into city grids.
Objective
The hydrogen-based Solenco Powerbox allows solar or wind power to be privately stored for hours or months, allowing 24 hour, year-round renewable electric power and heat, independent of the power grid. Powerbox allows every home and business to cheaply store their own generated energy, with over 90% conversion efficiency, electric and heat storage.
The Solenco Powerbox is a heavily-patented combination of an electrolyzer and a fuel cell in one unit. It transforms electricity into hydrogen, stores it indefinitely, then converts hydrogen back into electricity and/or heat, at minimal loss. Heat comes out as hot water at a rated temperature of 80°C.
Unlike battery storage, the Powerbox stores heat as well as electricity. There is no degradation of conversion capacity over time – its working lifetime is over 30 years. Unlike natural gas storage, there is no need to draw on local underground storage capacity. Unlike hydroelectric power storage, there is no need for local mountains or lakes to be available. Unlike chemical storage, there is no hazardous storage, transport or disposal concern.
Our method has zero carbon footprint and works anywhere, allowing homes and businesses to be heated and powered with intermittent solar and/or wind storage and even to feed excess power into local city grids as needed.
Solenco will be powerful to commercialize, since it has comparable cost to existing inferior solutions, and has the fastest return on investment (<3 years) of any storage solution on the market. Powerbox is targeted at the EU-28 residential renewable energy market of €33.6B (2016), which continues to grow rapidly. Our founder has created hundreds of energy jobs in Europe.
Solenco won the Hansa Green Tour Startup Challenge in 2018 and will earn 530,000 Euros in 2019.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringthermodynamic engineeringheat engineering
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsfossil energynatural gas
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energywind power
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectrical engineeringpower engineeringelectric power transmission
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringenergy and fuelsrenewable energyhydroelectricity
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
2300 Turnhout
Belgium
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.