​Kotzebue Clean Energy Coalition Newsletter Vol 27

The latest from just above the Arctic Circle.

Here is your weekly shot of energy, a list of what I’m exploring.

Innovative Companies in the Energy Transition

Innovation is crucial to the energy transition. Over the next 20 years the energy landscape is going to be transformed into a cleaner, more sustainable system. The Biden Administration has invested billions to jumpstart the transition to clean energy, but ultimately it will be profitable clean energy businesses that change the world. Here are some interesting companies and technologies that could be part of the solution:

​Sesame Solar: Sesame Solar has created a solar powered, battery and hydrogen enabled “food truck” that is designed to provide power and clean water in a disaster. The use of hydrogen to store energy, ultimately recharging the battery was an interesting use. I have been doing a lot of thinking about what a hydrogen powered community would look like, but had not considered batteries and hydrogen working together. Even in a predominately hydrogen powered economy there are going to be a number of batteries around whether in vehicles or grid scale storage, so Sesame Solar may be on to something. https://www.sesame.solar/​

​Octopus Energy: Octopus Energy is a UK-based energy supplier that has recently expanded to the US. They are committed to using technology to make green energy affordable and accessible to everyone. It is primarily a service company but is branching out to many sectors. One of their most significant innovations is their use of smart meters and real-time pricing to help customers manage their energy usage and reduce waste. They also recently announced a partnership with RES to create green hydrogen using renewable energy sources like wind and solar. This technology will help to reduce carbon emissions from the manufacturing sector. https://octopusenergy.com/about​

​ORPC: ORPC’s innovation lies in their use of underwater turbines to generate electricity from ocean & river currents. The RivGen® unit installed in the Kvichak River, Igiugig, Alaska, is the longest operating river current energy converter in the Americas. This technology has the potential to provide clean, reliable energy to river-based communities throughout the state. Can the RivGen unit withstand harsh ocean conditions? That remains to be seen, but the technology is promising providing a more consistent baseload than wind and solar. Marine Energy Will Play a Key Role in Climate Change - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXB6ngpDnmk&t=24s​

​Metglas: Metglas produces amorphous metal ribbons, which are used in a variety of energy applications. Amorphous metal, also known as metallic glass, is a solid metallic material with disordered atomic-scale structure. This technology has the potential to improve the efficiency of electric motors and transformers, reducing energy waste and carbon emissions. The properties of amorphous metal are interesting, they could be revolutionary in increasing energy efficiency and reducing energy loss. https://metglas.com/company-history/#about_company_history​

​H2Pro: H2Pro is a company that specializes in hydrogen production technology. Their E-TAC method of splitting water produces hydrogen and oxygen in two consecutive steps, preventing contact between the two gases, thus eliminating the risk of explosive mixing. E-TAC water splitting is more compatible with renewable power sources such as solar and wind than conventional water electrolysis. Due to the lack of membrane separators in the E-TAC water splitting cells, the technology is relatively easy to scale-up. This technology has the potential to provide a clean, renewable source of hydrogen energy for a variety of applications, including transportation and energy storage. https://www.h2pro.co/technology​

​Enapter - Enapter also makes electrolyzers but with Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM). What I like about Enapter is that their electrolyzers are modular, meaning that they build the same thing over and over again, leading to production efficiencies. If a customer wants to produce more hydrogen they can stack multiple electrolyzers together, an elegant solution. https://www.enapter.com/about​

​Sunamp – A Thermal Battery paired with a heat pump and wind power is interesting. Hypothetically you could do in floor heating and have an efficient home heat system powered by renewables. Batteries and electricity would be a separate system, so costs would probably spiral out of control. But if I had excess money burning a hole in my pocket, I have a house only a couple miles from Kotzebue I would love try something like this on. https://sunamp.com/en-us/how-thermal-batteries-work-2/​

​Haven Energy – What I like about Haven Energy is the simple business model. They make it easy to get a battery put in your house and help operate it. They take care of permitting, tax credits and all the other stuff people don’t want to do. Unfortunately they are only in California, but Alaska needs companies like this. https://havenenergy.com/how-haven-works

These companies are making contributions to the decarbonization of the energy sector through their innovative technologies. By continuing to invest in new energy solutions, we can create a more sustainable future for ourselves and future generations.

Here are some more innovators brought to you by FastCompany...

​https://www.fastcompany.com/90847295/most-innovative-companies-energy-sustainability-2023​

Quote

"Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity - not a threat."
―- Steve Jobs
​

If you know of any interesting companies that I missed, I would appreciate hearing about them. Maybe we will have a subscriber generated issue down the road. Email: chad.nordlum@qira.org
​
Have a wonderful weekend.
​
Chad

​P.S. Sign up by clicking the link below to get this newsletter every week.

​SUBSCRIBE HERE!​