Photoncycle aims to store energy cheaply using a clever hydrogen solution

The solar energy sector has been fighting interseasonal energy storage for years. The ability to harness surplus solar energy through the summer months for winter use stays an elusive goal, with existing solutions equivalent to batteries becoming insufficient due to prohibitive costs and limited lifespan. Meanwhile, hydrogen, despite its clean-burning properties, has been sidelined due to inefficiency and high costs.

Photoncycle — a startup emerging from the depths of an accelerator on the Oslo Science Park in Oslo, Norway — is working on a solution. Startup claims that with a vision as clear because the summer sun, solid hydrogen technology can store energy more efficiently ammonia synthesis reactor. The claim is that this technology provides more economical storage than every other battery or liquid hydrogen solution available on the market.

“Lithium-ion batteries use expensive metals. Our material is super cheap: storing 10,000 kilowatt hours costs about $1,500, so it’s almost nothing. In addition, our data storage solution is 20 times more dense than a lithium-ion battery and does not waste electricity,” explains founder and CEO Bjørn Brandtzaeg in an interview with TechCrunch. “This means we have a system where energy can be stored over time, allowing for seasonal storage. This is completely different from traditional batteries.”

Photoncycle uses water and electricity to produce hydrogen. This in itself will not be unusual in the event you follow fuel cell vehicle technology. However, the corporate’s approach includes an progressive twist: a reversible, high-temperature fuel cell. This advanced fuel cell can produce hydrogen and generate electricity in the identical device.

The core of Photoncycle’s innovation is hydrogen processing. They process hydrogen after which use technology to convert and store it in solid form. The company claims that this storage method will not be only secure due to the non-flammable and non-explosive nature of the solid, but in addition highly efficient. It enables the storage of hydrogen with a density roughly 50% greater than liquid hydrogen, which is a significant advance in hydrogen storage solutions. These innovations form the cornerstone of the Photoncycle system, facilitating the secure and dense storage of hydrogen, which the corporate says represents a huge breakthrough in energy technology.

Current clean energy solutions, equivalent to rooftop solar, are limited by inconsistent supplies due to the unpredictable nature of weather conditions. A sturdy reusable energy storage solution could overcome these schedules, ensuring a stable energy supply when these renewable sources encounter inevitable intermittent periods.

Great in theory, but not without its own challenges.

“The Netherlands is the country in Europe with the highest density of rooftop solar energy. We are currently seeing huge growth due to high energy prices; everyone wants rooftop solar,” Brandtzaeg says. However, he adds that this method can backfire for homeowners: “Last July within the Netherlands in the midst of the day it was 500 euros per megawatt hour to export electricity“

Placing energy storage along with an energy-producing house effectively allows homes to be disconnected from the grid. Photoncycle says it has tested and worked with the core components of its solution – the following step is to integrate it into the system. The company says that if successful, it could seriously threaten Powerwall, Tesla’s lithium-ion battery solution.

David Gerez, CTO at Photoncycle, and Ole Laugerud, Photoncycle chemist, in Photoncycle’s purpose-built laboratory, which has been operating for nearly two years. Image credits: Photocycle

“It’s a relatively complex system – that’s why so many PhDs from different fields are working on it. The reason why Elon Musk said hydrogen is stupid is because you lose a lot of energy when you convert electricity into hydrogen and vice versa,” says Brandtzaeg. He believes his company can turn this bug into a feature. “In residential buildings, where 70% of energy demand is for heating, it is possible to use excess heat to provide hot water. We will focus on markets where people currently use natural gas for heating, and then we will replace the gas boiler in the home, using existing water infrastructure.”

Brandtzaeg’s confidence within the operational framework of the concept is convincing. He pointed to a small model of their operating facility within the labs, scaled down to the scale of a automobile battery. Brandtzaeg believes this scaling needs to be seamless and cites it because the primary reason they felt confident in implementing the project.

When it comes to providing power, hydrogen takes a while to generate electricity, so for buffering, the corporate relies on an intermediate, more conventional battery to balance the load. The company definitely attracts the eye of investors: Photocycle has just raised $5.3 million (€5 million) to construct the primary few energy storage devices in Denmark, which Photoncycle has chosen as its test market.

“Based on the interest, we could have raised 10 times more than we did. However, after this increase, I am still the majority owner,” says Brandtzaeg. “I wanted to maintain control of the company for as long as possible and not raise more capital than necessary to bring this service to market.”