Solid-state Long Duration Energy Storage for Industrial Applications
Over the 2022 period the project refined the system design, initial assembly and construction has started.
Antora Energy, Inc.
Recipient
Sunnyvale, CA
Recipient Location
10th
Senate District
26th
Assembly District
$1,218,688
Amount Spent
Active
Project Status
Project Update
In 2025, the project completed all planned field testing and commissioning activities. Key deliverables completed include: (1) completion and commissioning of a pilot system at an industrial site, (2) execution of field testing and measurement & verification activities, (3) development of TPV module reliability testing and reporting processes, and (4) critical review and comprehensive reporting via multiple Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) meetings and progress reports. In 2026, remaining activities will focus on project closeout, including final data analysis, submission of the final project report, and completion of the Production Readiness Plan.
The Issue
California’s increasing penetration of variable renewable energy resources creates a growing need for cost-effective, long-duration energy storage (LDES) solutions capable of shifting energy across multiple days. Existing battery technologies are typically optimized for short-duration applications and become prohibitively expensive for multi-day storage. As renewable penetration increases, grid operators and large energy users require dispatchable solutions that can provide both electricity and high-temperature heat over extended durations. This project addresses the need for a low-cost, scalable LDES technology that can support grid reliability and industrial decarbonization.
Project Innovation
The core innovation of this project is the development, testing, and demonstration of an energy storage system based on thermophotovoltaic (TPV) technology. The technology uses electricity to heat graphite blocks and then converts the heat to electricity at a later time using high-efficiency TPV cells. This project includes developing and testing the approach in a laboratory setting and deploying a pilot system at an existing cogeneration power plant site east of the City of San Joaquin in Fresno County.
Project Goals
Optimize system design to maximize value to energy consumers and the grid.
Total output power (electric + thermal): benchmark 10kW, goal is at least 25kW, aiming for 100kW.
Scale thermophotovoltaic fabrication from the cell level to the large-area modules necessary for commercial-scale deployme
Demonstrate reliable operation at an industrial customer site
Project Benefits
This project advances a novel long-duration energy storage technology that can deliver both electricity and high-temperature heat for industrial applications. By enabling cost-effective storage of energy over multiple days, the technology supports grid reliability and industrial decarbonization. Successful demonstration through this project will support future market adoption and manufacturing scale-up.
Affordability
Affordability
The installed capital costs of Antora’s thermal battery are anticipated to be <$0.05/kWh when commercialized, this is 20x lower than lithium-ion batteries.
Energy Security
Energy Security
Antora’s thermal battery technology, once commercialized, is anticipated to have the ability to cost effectively scale for long duration multi-hour to multi-day energy resiliency applications.
Key Project Members
David Bierman
Subrecipients
U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
DAPR Engineering, LLC
Match Partners
Antora Energy, Inc.
