This thermal energy can be used for various applications. The main and most immediate one is the use of thermal energy storage (TES) as a reliable and cost-effective alternative to batteries for photovoltaic plants. But many other uses of this intelligent combination of electricity and heat can be addressed: desalination, industrial process heat, agriculture, district heating/cooling, etc. SPIRE has zero CO2 emissions. It is suitable for off-grid solutions, no need for fuel supply, scalable and integral with other technologies. SPIRE’s custom filter designs can be tailored to each location, particular light spectrum and dedicated applications and modes of operation.
When it comes to economic and performance parameters, SPIRE outperforms them all: no energy dumping, less space per installed power, more competitive prices than PV+ batteries that double the battery life cycle, no degradation like silver mirrors (filters are made of inorganic oxides), less attenuation than current CSP towers, scalable without the need for multimillionaire investments to obtain good energy prices that can be filled by the sun, economical and fast starting turbine that allows a quick response to energy shortages due to clouds, etc.
And on top of that, SPIRE is almost ready to be marketed. The filters have been successfully tested and are simple to manufacture, as they are based on current window manufacturing processes. It links PV and CSP, commercial and well proven technologies, and future improvements in both will also bring benefits to SPIRE.