Can a Simple Brick Be the Next Great Battery? | John O'Donnell | TED

The world relies on manufacturing, and manufacturing relies on heat - a massive contributor to global carbon emissions, responsible for a quarter of the world's fossil fuel use. Energy entrepreneur John O'Donnell has figured out a better, cleaner way to generate the heat we need to make the stuff we want. Learn how his team turned simple bricks and iron wire into a powerful, unconventional "heat battery" that could deliver industrial heat at scale without the emissions - and why he thinks electrified industrial heat is the next trillion-dollar industry.
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• Can a Simple Brick Be ...
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[@evac.7762]

What a lovely, warm narrating voice.

[@rondoenergy4228]

I'll let him know! =]

[@rondoenergy4228]

Thank you to everyone at TED for hosting John! We're excited to rapidly eliminate emissions at unprecedented scale and speed.

[@ericjohnson2193]

Can I put something like this in my basement to supplement a heat pump instead of also needing a gas furnace to get through the coldest winters?

[@nc3826]

@@ericjohnson2193 Depending on where you live there are a few products on the market that use various materials to store heat or latent, including phase change materials.... But if your heat pump is sized correctly it's usually not worth it.... Unless you also have a very very low off-peak electric rate/tariff and if you get a subsidy...

[@user-fk8zw5js2p]

@@ericjohnson2193 This seems more for industrial applications, but it is moving in the direction for residential use. I'm sure they are thinking about it.

[@raze1570]

Amazing idea and service/business definitely will do amazing and needs to be done around the world.

[@supertec2023]

So you're going to wipe out 2/3 of the human population?

[@David-pm6sv]

His voice is gentle and clear. I love his voice.

[@IronMongoose1]

John, you and your friends have made some good choices in how you spend your life, and it will make a big difference to my kids's ability to have a safe and healthy life 40 years from now. Virtual hug from British Columbia to you.

[@rondoenergy4228]

Hugs straight back to you, friend!

[@Patiboke]

Great voice, great presentation. 👍 The planet needs more people like this.

[@rondoenergy4228]

Thank you so much! Yes, we agree =]

[@Spathever]

Boring? I haven't been this excited since I heard about a sand heat battery for district heating here in Finland!

[@rondoenergy4228]

Yes, we love what those folks are doing! We think our solution is more suitable for a factory/industrial environment, but yes their sand battery is pretty cool and will have its uses!

[@Dr.RiccoMastermind]

I already know and love this concept. Wish many people help investing and driving this splendidly "boring" idea! 🙏😎🇩🇪

[@rondoenergy4228]

Boring is exciting!

[@steveb2400]

Absolutely brilliant. I'm speechless and excited for the future...something I haven't felt in a long time!

[@rondoenergy4228]

Awesome!

[@BandiMuraliKrishna]

In the forge of progress, where carbon clouds did loom, John O'Donnell emerged, dispelling industry's gloom. Bricks and wire danced, a green alchemy unbowed, His heat battery sparked a future, emissions disallowed.

[@rondoenergy4228]

Nice!

[@jorislal]

At first I thought he's going to talk about that stacking bricks battery idea and was super skeptical about it. This sounds a lot better, would like to know efficiency and cost numbers versus a chemical battery and pump storage battery.

[@rondoenergy4228]

We're about 5-10x cheaper than a lithium ion battery for the same amount of energy stored. Also no precious metals / rare earth metals! Abundant, low-cost materials.

[@MoDa87]

@@rondoenergy4228what is the plan to scale world wide? Are you looking to find local partners?

[@ManojKumar2]

​​@@rondoenergy4228LFP batteries are now at about $50 per kWh, Sodium Ion heading lower, are you saying yours would still be 5-10x lower?

[@nc3826]

​ @rondoenergy4228 there are more cost effective options than lithium ion batteries for storing electrical energy, which is not comparable to heat energy ....... based on the second laws of thermodynamics ..... So your comparison is completely misleading...... store waste heat, such as from a power plant.....

[@user-fk8zw5js2p]

@@nc3826 Storing waste heat is certainly an option, but it seems difficult and dangerous to move stored heat long distances to where it is needed. How would you propose to get the waste heat from a powerplant across town to a bakery? The product in this video is more useful to industries that use lots of heat and produce it mainly by burning fuels. These industries aren't going to produce a lot of waste heat. This product allows electricity production through solar and wind energies to be stored as heat which can give capacitance to combat the instability of the renewable energy sources (solar only produces during the day and better with no clouds and wind only produces when it is windy). It is also made of dirt and common metals, so it is cheap as dirt to make. It wont solve every pollution problem, but it isn't trying to. It is only helping heat consuming industries to switch from burning fossil fuels to wind/solar energy sources, do it at low cost, and mitigate risk of bad weather for renewable energy production.

[@WhatDadIsUpTo]

I store energy from my solar PV as well as VAWTs using an "Air Battery". My toys compress air and I save that air at working pressure (for me 80 to 120 psig) to generate FUTURE electricity needs of any voltage and any current, both a/c and d/c.

[@deekayunited3445]

So its a storage heater. My house was built 30 years ago with storage heaters. They work. Theyre easy to fit. They need no maintenance and are quiet. And these days theyre charged by enormous wind turbines in the North Sea.

[@karhukivi]

Great answer!

[@drillerdev4624]

But your home unit probably won't be able to sustain the heat levels these bricks get to. Consider thermosolar. The idea is there, but there are a lot of problems with the actual molten salt implementation. If they can get to industrial levels of heat, kudos to them.

[@SolarScootersuk]

Simply amazing. Love this!

[@user-ye2ok5qx5r]

Wow, what a simple but genius idea! How can we use them in heating system of our homes?

[@rondoenergy4228]

There are a few companies working on residential sized heat batteries. I believe there are even some for sale! We're focused on creating batteries purpose-built for the largest emitters on earth. This will allow us to make the largest difference possible, as fast as we can!

[@crappymeal]

Search: undecided with matt ferrell

[@kaushi7489]

It is a great vide

[@Nikoo033]

It’s probably quite wasteful to use electricity to heat-up those bricks to then radiate this heat to warm the air or water to then heat the air. Much more efficient to use a heat pump that uses electricity to transfer heat air-air or air-water-air.

[@crappymeal]

@@Nikoo033 it's more for storage, like a battery

[@tmpbe]

That was really interesting, thanks a lot, John

[@rondoenergy4228]

I'll let him know, thanks!

[@vishnuunnikrishnan4963]

Interesting. Curious on what the insulation material of the outer cover (tank) is made of..🤔?

[@rondoenergy4228]

We use what we call "dynamic insulation" -- it's another layer of refractory brick (same material as the storage brick) -- with a layer of air surrounding it. This air is then circulated through the bricks to extract heat, so heat lost to the insulation layer is recaptured and utilized. This is sort of like a double pane window. This is how our commercially operating plant has achieved 90%+ efficiency.

[@Go2Results]

90% in which time period/cycle? Thanks 🙏

[@MoDa87]

@@rondoenergy4228that’s amazingly simple. Great that you guys are solving this without over engendering.

[@Nikoo033]

@@rondoenergy4228but what energy to you use to circulate the air? A design to allow cold-hot air passive diffusion? Or electricity?😅

[@judewarner1536]

I imagined it would be the thermal tile material that used to protect shuttles on re-entry.

[@elizabethscott2826]

Great Voice & Content Speech, Sir. Thank you 🙂✝️

[@rondoenergy4228]

Thank you!!

[@kennethtape3362]

What a absolutely elegant idea, fantastic, I had no idea !

[@rondoenergy4228]

Thank you!

[@vivalaleta]

What a lot of naysayers in the comment section. We'll never invent or improve anything according to that lot.

[@rondoenergy4228]

Luckily our customers are believers that we WILL lower their costs and slash their emissions! Our commercial system is operating daily at 90%+ efficiency.

[@TJohnsonLLC]

Thank you John for the updated presentation. Best yet. If I was a young engineer I'd be finding a way to join this path. In retirement I'll take solace for having participated in the development of efficient wind turbines, and looking forward to your rapid deployment of thermal storage systems utilizing clean energy. Congratulations for the impressive progress to date.

[@rondoenergy4228]

Thank you!!

[@bernob9770]

Very cool!

[@brentlanyon4654]

Good luck, John and Rondo - would love to catch up soon!

[@rondoenergy4228]

Thanks!

[@ButlerTurf]

Interested to see what the future looks like.

[@rondoenergy4228]

Please stay tuned, lots of exciting announcements coming up!

[@BeautynBrainz2]

This is brilliant! Amazing!

[@rondoenergy4228]

You're brilliant!

[@themogget8808]

I would love to see these take off as a drop-in replacement for industrial gas-fired steam boilers.

[@rondoenergy4228]

Same!

[@AndyJHiscock]

Reminds me of the Electric Night Storage Heaters of the 1970s that used exactly the same priciples of the Heat Battery. Funny how technology goes full circle.

[@flotsamike]

The last 2 years I lived in England I had an electric heater that used ceramic bricks to store heat and it used more electricity than my baseboard heaters. For most of the world the price of electricity has doubled in the last 10 years, so power costs are not dropping. Even woth cheap renewables we get hammered every evening and whenever we hit a mew peak dand, which is more and more often. This just shifts peak demand into peak use time more often. We need energy storage, but not this kind so much.

[@simplicity6564]

Beautiful!

[@rondoenergy4228]

you're beautiful.

[@Gonegonegone977]

Incredible. Thx

[@rondoenergy4228]

Thank you!

[@tedhamilton2362]

What energy will be required to create the bricks?

[@steveinglis473]

Been around in homes for decades - called storage heaters.

[@rondoenergy4228]

The steel industry has also used bricks to pre-heat air for almost 200 years! The same type of bricks we're using, just a different shape.

[@backacheache]

Here in the centre of London, England we have a "waste to heat" power stations (whilst controversial) the waste heat from it could be used to charge of these then driven to local places that need cheap hest such as a "district heating" systems or swimming pools

[@weebee606]

Great idea. I hope they make it big

[@rondoenergy4228]

Same!

[@jlewis7678]

Nice video but I wish it was longer and went into more detail about some of the issues with using heat batteries at scale. One question I have is what about power for locations not ideal for wind and solar? If wind and solar are not available due to geographical reasons you will have to generate heat with oil or natural gas. Also, the main cost of electricity comes from peak voltage utilization, are these heat batteries able to generate high voltage quickly? They would have too if you plan to use them for industrial work. I’m an engineer and I recently designed an industrial dryer that, if it was power by solar, would require a solar field the size of a city due to its peak voltage needs. Would love if this technology works at scale but I am still skeptical.

[@rondoenergy4228]

The heat battery can still draw power from the grid. One of its benefits is that it's a swiss army knife, it can be configured in many different ways. It can accept power from the grid, or on/off grid renewables of any kind -- AND it only needs to charge for 4-6 hours per day to discharge 24/7, charging and discharging happen simultaneously so there is no disruption or downtime for a customer who requires heat 24/7 (this typically is generated by combustion-based, gas-fired boilers). RHBs can rapidly charge, and we've found many markets where we eliminate curtailment by soaking up generation that would otherwise need to be curtailed. The challenge of curtailment and renewables being tied up in years-long interconnection queues AND the challenge of heavy industries needing to decarbonize while still having a clean, secure supply of reliable low-cost heat -- these two challenges become the solution for one another. Heat batteries accelerate renewable deployments to the grid and reduce interconnection queues.

[@bsuddzen]

Geothermal electricity production, look into Google's/Alphabet's Project Red.

[@alwaysquestionyouropinions1119]

Nuclear energy

[@trnogger]

Where on earth do you find areas where there is no sun or wind?

[@waterfoker8558]

I love this, simple, low cost, scalable, awesome!

[@rondoenergy4228]

Thanks!

[@4Nanook]

The problem, aside from the fact that you'd have to cover 1/3rd of the available land mass, is that photovoltiacs don't make power when the sun don't shine, windmills don't make wind when the wind don't blow, industrial processes aren't often amiable to intermittent supply.

[@EyesOfByes]

There is hope in the galaxy

[@taylorjohnson4943]

Adding a co2 capture unit on the backend of the heated air cycle. Could make a lot of sense.

[@rondoenergy4228]

There is no CO2 that comes out of the Rondo unit, and no CO2 involved at any point in the cycle. The system is entirely powered by renewable electricity, and at no point is there combustion or CO2.

[@backacheache]

An application for this could be the Shetland islands in Scotland, the interlink to the mainland currently isn't big enough for all wind and wave power they generate. With this system you could ship the energy on a boat to where it is needed!

[@isaachung9382]

Interesting Concept.

[@kerry9125]

Please explain the needs for the brick form. If you are just transferring radiant heat, why are you worried about the brick cracking? Wouldn't a container filled with sand (or dirt) work similarly and be cheaper to produce?

[@rondoenergy4228]

If brick doesn't heat up uniformly, there is risk of it cracking. So the strange shape of the brick is to ensure the electric heating wire is heating all points of the brick evenly and at the same time. The shape is so the thickness of the brick is similar at most points, and so that air can easily travel through them to extract the heat evenly as well. Sand cannot achieve the high temperatures required by industry (up to 1500). I forget off the top of my head, but I believe sand can only reach something like 300-400 degrees before it turns into glass.

[@karhukivi]

@@rondoenergy4228 The melting point of quartz which is what silica sand is composed of is 1670°C. I won't be investing!!

[@al3xf103]

@@rondoenergy4228 According to chatgpt, sand should indeed be able to store heat up to 1500 C. What is it that brick can do that sand can't ?

[@backacheache]

​@@rondoenergy4228There is a company that does use sand and they get around need super-high-heat by using mass instead. The sand is buried underground in a very insulated box the size of a swimming pool !

[@rashidabaakza8554]

Very interesting concept 👍🧱⚡️

[@rondoenergy4228]

Thank you!

[@neotoy]

"it's a common industrialist fallacy to say 'we need the stuff we make', it's more accurate to say that in order to maintain our current standard of living we need to keep making stuff. But the better statement is "we need to fully understand the consequences of our industrial practices in relation to our actual needs and the needs of the larger ecosystem." Certain things shouldn't be made or maintained, and this is fact that humanity has neglected to investigate for far too long.

[@rondoenergy4228]

We hope that some of the things we help industrials make aren't just luxuries, rather, necessities. Eliminating gas-fired boilers for tomato plants, drug manufacturers, baby food factories, textile plants. People need food, medicine, and clothing, basic needs. We hope to lower the cost of those goods, eliminate combustion-based emissions at those factories, improving worker and community health.

[@crappymeal]

You are correct and aswell as energy and resource waste the manufacture of non important stuff is a waste of human resources/effort/manpower that could be better put to use

[@KWifler]

We become dependent upon the stuff we make because we forget how to live without it.

[@user-px1wd4ji6q]

We could not help using industrial things without realizing it.

[@user-ds3xe7ou4p]

Tell that to Toyota engineers who literally made serial produced engine 1JZ and then 2JZ and then suddenly realized that If they continue do make such engines no one would ever come to buy their new cars with new engines and that industry would collapse. Do not lie to yourselves fellas you will not win the battle of people consuming goods and green socialism. The first will prevail and the second will never prevail nor will it get any support. Many people tried already and all of the perished, but good luck to you anyway

[@mariaantoniettamontella9173]

meraviglioso

[@jacktheripper-hp9tx]

my sock will be the next great battery you just have to put it into a shoe and its like a gift that keeps on giving

[@Go2Results]

Nice, but what about heat loss percentages? Because heating stuff is one, the most challenging is keeping it hot as fire… 🔥

[@rondoenergy4228]

I mentioned this in another comment -- but we use dynamic insulation that works like a double pane window. We use another layer of brick surrounded by a blanket of air. Heat is lost to the air that is pumped back through the bricks before being delivered as heat or steam to the customer. There is almost no loss to the environment, with our current (small) system reaching 90% efficiency and larger units expected to reach 98%. In fact, the outside of our batteries are cool to the touch.

[@Go2Results]

@@rondoenergy4228 thx 🙏 what do you think about your system for public swimming pools? ( in The Netherlands) A German company for waste heat is only looking for real big systems… as swimming pools need heat all year around this looks like an interesting case for heat batteries as electricity is most cheap on weekend days.. Tino

[@rondoenergy4228]

@@Go2Results Unfortunately, our systems are too large for residencies and swimming pools. Our smallest system is 100MWhs of storage, which is sized for medium-to-large factories depending on their needs. Some other companies are working on smaller, residential sized heat batteries, but we're really focused on the largest emitters (the largest consumers of power), that require large amounts of power 24/7 to produce anything from cement and steel, to diapers and baby food.

[@toddchavez8274]

@@rondoenergy4228 this kind of scale might work for mobile home parks or communities run by homeowners associations. Or prisons. Or military bases. Or hospitals. basically anywhere where people are grouped under a single umbrella.

[@Go2Results]

@@rondoenergy4228 thanks for your exploration and we need solutions for all levels. As heat is from big impact of our energy use. I try to investigate which solution had the best fit for which heat use. Which you luck and hope Rondo can make great achievements 👊

[@Taras.Havryliuk]

Where Can I read more about it?

[@user-nd1jv5hk6s]

go website ~

[@colin1235421]

Great to see this is already being implemented. Even though one loses efficiency, perfect efficiency is not the goal - CO2 reduction is.

[@rondoenergy4228]

We're actually currently operating the highest efficiency commercial energy storage system of any kind with Calgren Renewable Fuels. This system operates at 90% efficiency, and we expect larger systems to reach 98% efficiency.

[@samusande6461]

What is the material used to make the brick, is it concrete??

[@rondoenergy4228]

Refractory brick! Similar to what lines fireplaces, kilns.

[@jamesalanstephensmith7930]

Amen!

[@Drewsta4]

Wouldn’t it take energy to maintain high temperature limiting energy storage time so only short term storage be efficient enough to be viable?

[@rondoenergy4228]

We charge and discharge simultaneously, charging for 4-6 hours per day to enable us to export heat 24/7 to customers. This has been proven in the field already. We're commercially operating the highest efficiency energy storage system of any kind in the world today at 90% with Calgren Renewable Fuels. Our case study is online.

[@IamKhoramdin]

Wow it is amazing❤

[@rondoenergy4228]

Thank you!!

[@backacheache]

I wonder if they could start the Charging with a heat pump so they end up with a "cold" battery (they have pumped the heat out of) that they could send to data-centres, ice-rinks and cold storage facilities

[@MingtianY]

If the electricity is excess or is purpose-build for heat wires, adding the heat pump would introduce an extra cost of equipments and complexity.

[@backacheache]

@@MingtianY true, but they'd store more energy for the amount they putting in and create an extra income stream from cooling applications

[@tamsinlancashire4439]

Sounds like a storage heater. Does this mean I can repurpose my storage heaters to store heat instead of letting it out slowly 🤔

[@usmanjibo3375]

❤

[@stefanplugaru6388]

Throughout the whole talk, it was not mentioned once what are the efficiency levels of this idea. Convenient, right?

[@rondoenergy4228]

Our pilot in commercial operation (you can look up Calgren Renewable Fuels case study) is operating at above 90% efficiency and we expect larger systems to reach 98%. Our system in daily operation today is the highest efficiency energy storage of any kind in the world in commercial operation.

[@sachamm]

This seems like a great idea, but the presentation came off like a Dragon's Den pitch.

[@rondoenergy4228]

We're very real -- in commercial operation today and scaling fast!

[@jessilynjax8625]

I really want to know how this can be scaled down for individual homes scale not just industrial. Cause if It can be scaled for home use then it would pull in a lot of people.

[@user-jm1ww1wt9u]

와... 참신한 발상이다. 다른 모든 과학자, 엔지니어가 좀 더 저렴한 ESS를 개발하기 위해서 연구할 때 가장 흔히 볼 수 있는 브릭으로 열 에너지를 저장한다. 이런 게 진정한 혁신인가?

[@RickLaBanca]

I don’t get how that brick fits in my phone.

[@DaveBuildsThings]

Update your phone and brick it. Problem solved.

[@AAristi1976]

So, what is the company behind this? Do they have a website? Can we invest in it? Where is it being installed?

[@rondoenergy4228]

Rondo Energy! Check us out. Privately held company. We have a commercial system in daily operation in California at a renewable fuel plant. The case study is on our website. The system is the highest efficiency energy storage of any kind (90%+).

[@rcmnet]

​@@rondoenergy4228how does it compare with natural gas solutions cost wise for daily operation?

[@gnkstudios6138]

Sees the thumbnail: “Why on Gods green earth is Joe Biden on Ted Talk?” Reads the title: “I was about to say” 😂😂😂

[@supertec2023]

No, we cannot agree on how to charge a cell phone 😂

[@rondoenergy4228]

Cement, steel, etc. factories need a lot more energy than a cell phone, and they need it as HEAT, not electricity.

[@aaronsinspirationdaily4896]

How hot can you deliver steam from this?

[@rondoenergy4228]

Up to 1500C

[@aaronsinspirationdaily4896]

@@rondoenergy4228ok, so supercritical steam to drive turbines and make electricity. Are these systems a viable option for the base load solar PV storage problem where other solutions like pumped Hydro aren’t viable? We have a lot of solar PV farms in emerging in Australia and a huge rooftop solar penetration looking for better alternatives to lithium batteries. I’m guessing you smart guys have run the numbers on this already.

[@billbucktube]

It is great to offer good ideas via cost savings…

[@rondoenergy4228]

We agree!

[@GoodLife-ru8di]

Why wait 15 years? Liquid metal battery developed at MIT is already in production.

[@Kadersarihan]

👏

[@lukasschallibaum5046]

Can we use this in buildings? Heat them up with solar and store the heat during the night?

[@Fitzrovialitter]

When a title asks a rhetorical question the answer is invariably "no"; so I won't bother proceeding.

[@rondoenergy4228]

The answer is YES. We're a drop-in replacement for gas-fired boilers. Not just rhetoric, we're commercially operating the highest efficiency energy storage system of any kind in the world today at 90%+ efficiency. This is with Calgren Renewable Fuels and our case study is online. This is very real.

[@Joshuadalewillis]

Put the patent blueprints out so anyone on earth can make them, actually save us

[@nononsenseBennett]

How about storing cold too? We need air conditioning and cold to preserve food. This is another huge energy user. In areas where snow is prevalent, collecting and storing it could be utilized for cold energy needs. This would have the side benefit of having captured water when needed. Win-win.

[@darcycarroll4955]

Found out about rondo heat batteries about a year ago and was very excited for their potential not just for industrial and cement but for energy storage. As an Australian, rondo could help us power the whole world by storing our vast renewable resources. Thanks John and Rondo!

[@rondoenergy4228]

Thanks Darcy! Glad to have you on our journey =]

[@roryniland]

whats the efficiency ??

[@rondoenergy4228]

The small commercial unit we have online today, proven in the field, is achieving 90%+ efficiency. It's the highest efficiency energy storage system in commercial operation in the world today. We expect larger systems to reach 98% efficiency!

[@roryniland]

@@rondoenergy4228 Now THAT is interesting, the number should be in the title not in the comments, we can all heat stuff

[@josephcarreon783]

What is the name of the company?

[@jessecortez9449]

Appears to be Rondo Energy. They're in the comments sections replying to some comments.

[@rondoenergy4228]

Hi hi! Rondo Energy here.

[@josephcarreon783]

Thank you

[@kaushalsuvarna5156]

I had to double check that this wasn't the Onion

[@rondoenergy4228]

I had to double check that you weren't an onion.

[@kerry9125]

For how long can this brick battery store energy? What is it's storage capacity, and at what rate does it dissipate heat energy? For how long does maintain '90% efficiency'?

[@rondoenergy4228]

While the battery can store energy for around a day, the primary use for the battery is 24/7 heat for our customers. These are for facilities that consume a massive amount of power, and in some cases only shut down for a few hours per year. They are purchasing continuous 24/7 heat -- the same heat they currently generate using combustion-based, emissions-intensive, gas fired boilers that run 24/7. This is an "always-on" type technology, not back-up power.

[@rondoenergy4228]

The Rondo website has a data sheet you can look through, but the two modular systems are 100MWh storage and 300MWh storage.

[@kerry9125]

@@rondoenergy4228 I see limited applications for this kind of energy storage (battery), here's why... At 90% efficiency, the customer immediately loses 10% off all the energy he put into the battery. That stored energy in the battery is in the form of heat which starts dissipating immediately. If he doesn't use that stored energy in one day, a large portion of it, or possibly the entire usable amount of it, is gone. So, he has to continually recharge this battery, perhaps every other day, at a minimum 10% loss every time. Basically, storing heat is not an efficient way to store energy over time. The only place where this would work would be remote areas that rely on wind/solar and don't have a grid for backup. I don't know if there are many places like that that couldn't use fuel or lithium powered back-up generators more efficiently.

[@kerry9125]

@@rondoenergy4228 To download the data sheet from your website requires providing a lot of personal information, which I find unnecessary and would just rather not do.

[@inserteunnombreapropiado9079]

I wonder: is it possible for whole city to just use these brick batteries to store energy in case of need?

[@rondoenergy4228]

Yes it's possible!

[@DawnT25]

Air: Damaged ✅ Water : Damaged ✅ Trees : Done Soil: It's time.

[@tvmoviemaniac1]

That was a cool presentation and an excellent ad for Rondo. Was that a TED Talk or an Investor Sales Meeting? It is great to share amazing ideas but it begins to make me question their overall motive when it includes repeated plugs for their company. That is an issue with talk about Climate Change. It is real but all the financial motives being pushed seems to muddy the subject so people ask, "Is it legit or are they just selling the latest trend?" I know we need to throw money at these projects as well as the research. I just wish I knew how to do so without people wondering whose pockets are being padded...

[@rondoenergy4228]

Hey, thanks for your thoughts and I'm glad you liked the video! Of course we want to draw attention to our broader electric thermal energy storage sector and ultimately draw customers to Rondo; with the purpose of eliminating double digits global CO2 as fast as possible. A critical way to accelerate toward that goal is purely educating the general public on the need for clean heat just like they understand the need for clean electricity (or understanding that EVs = good). When most folks think about "power" they think about electricity. The broader concept of zero-carbon heat is still a bit esoteric, despite its massive decarb and cost-savings potential, and has only been unlocked recently as a market due to low-cost renewable electricity. There are some exciting reports coming out from a variety of sources about the impact of heat batteries, and we're excited to even be considered a "latest trend" as you suggest.

[@serta5727]

Actually genius simple

[@rondoenergy4228]

YES, that's the best way to go big and go fast!

[@eriktolboom5176]

Very interesting and hopefull. At the end you say 'And with your help, we can get that done in 15 years. That's why I have hope, and I hope you do, too.' In which way do you want, need and see our help?

[@rondoenergy4228]

Spread the word about heat batteries! Share this video? We're fighting against inertia -- the more people that hear about heat batteries, the faster we can go!

[@WizCreates]

What if a heat battery was used to power a ICE car?

[@totszwai]

Sounds great... BUT, I believe you could only use this battery if the need of your output is HEAT only? Also, how well does this work in cold climate and in winter? I guess this would be a industrial ONLY solution?

[@rondoenergy4228]

Industry is our primary market. You can run the system in a combined heat and power mode to generate both heat and electricity. In cold climates, we can still utilize wind/solar, or the system can be connected to the electric grid.

[@mgcarmkm4520]

Planned obselence will negate any gains made through electrification as manufacturers have to keep selling new products to stay in business.Also wind and solar come out of the ground at source , basically oil. And wind and solar are of no use in regards to baseload energy production.

[@dodgygoose3054]

I've been following Rondo for a number of years it's brilliant to see them at this point and now to go bigger & bigger with their boring technology that will be the boring back bone of our todays & tomorrows industrial world.

[@rondoenergy4228]

Thanks for joining us on our journey! I hope we continue to be boring for years to come!

[@Factory400]

A complicated concept presented as if it was simple. It would be more exciting to see an actual, practical system. From there, efficiency can be estimated. Lifecycle can be estimated. Maintenance can be estimated.

[@rondoenergy4228]

We have a 2MWh system in operation today, delivering heat to a customer, at 90%+ efficiency. This has been proven. Lifecycle emissions of building the battery are recovered in only a few weeks of operation. The system is rated for 40+ year lifespan. Maintenance is minimal.

[@plinble]

Hopefully they can hot swap heating elements to keep it at temperature for years. With new technology some people give up at the slightest glitch and go back to the ways they know. They'll say anything remotely plausible to get back to their comfort zone. Moving the heat might not be so easy, but interesting to work on. High pressure steam and superheated water has better density than air. Air which is too hot gives you nitrous oxides. Integration with existing plant in a modular way needs experienced process engineers.

[@rondoenergy4228]

Hey @reltech, our systems are rated for 40% year, and do not cause additional downtime for facilities. We've chatted with folks who have had the same plant running nonstop since the 70s, and they want to keep it that way!

[@MatisseRAdar]

Half As Interesting HAI video coming?

[@Danny_6Handford]

Heat batteries are amazing and I am sure there can be some applications and situations where producing heat from electricity generated from wind and solar may be cost effective and practical but, I think there are much better more practical and more cost effective ways to produce clean heat than using electricity from wind and solar.

[@davestagner]

At the moment, solar is the cheapest way to produce electricity, AND it scales very small and has low time-to-market, since it’s just bolting together off-the-shelf components manufactured by the millions. The problem with solar (and to a lesser extent wind) is that the output is intermittent and independent of demand. But if it can be decoupled from demand - such as with heat batteries - it’s unbeatable right now.

[@Danny_6Handford]

@@davestagner I remain skeptical. You need 100 Acers of land to generate about 10MW of electric with solar panels and you need almost double that amount of land to generate about 10MW with wind turbines. If you cannot build the wind and solar generation on site or near where the heat is needed will also need new transmission and distribution lines adding significant cost. Provided that you can even get approval for the right of ways for these new lines the process will be difficult and costly. Even if the land is available near the site where the heat is needed, the large amounts of land required for the wind and solar will also add significant costs.

[@davestagner]

@@Danny_6Handford That’s not saying it’s impossible. That’s saying it’s hard. And of course, the alternative of just continuing to burn coal or gas is easy. But no one who has looked for reasons to not do hard things ever did anything worthwhile.

[@Danny_6Handford]

@@davestagner I do not think continuing to burn coal and gas is an alternative and I am not looking for reasons not to do hard things. I was a big fan of the Apollo program that landed men on the moon. I even think that there may be some practical applications for using solar and wind generated electricity to store heat. I just think that there are much more practical and cost effective ways to produce large quantities of clean heat for industry. Having said this, I commend you for promoting and bringing the idea of producing clean heat with wind and solar panel generated electricity to the table.

[@Mrvictory61]

Very innovative 👌

[@petersaulnier3526]

at the end of the presentation John says "with your help" i hope he means investors help,, fine.. and rather not yet voters help. it would be good for the private sector to try this out in large scale first, to take the risk and see many details worked out.

[@edgar_nistor]

and a LOOOT of bricks :) the wall will be more great now.

[@7_of_9]

Go deep, geothermal is basically free heat. Go 2 miles deep and you can heat up a small town. Because heat risers it only requires a very small pump to move these heat. That solves the heating homes, commercial buildings etc...

[@rondoenergy4228]

Geothermal is very expensive and seismic conditions make this unsafe and impractical to be installed at the heart of a factory, where heat is needed.

[@nc3826]

There's always a more efficient way of using electricity.... Then inefficiently converting and storing it as heat... For example heat pumps.... Please show those promoting this concept the second law of thermodynamics and Carnot's Theorem...

[@rondoenergy4228]

Hi there, heat pumps cannot achieve the high temperatures many industrial processes need, and they also require 24/7 power to operate. Our systems charge and discharge simultaneously, and only need to charge for 4-6 hours per day in order to deliver 24/7 power. This 4-6 hours can be in the lowest-cost window of the day. Heat pumps are great, but they are not suitable for many industrial processes.

[@nc3826]

@@rondoenergy4228 The problem with heat storage is that a requires very cheap off-peak electric. And we have a growing list of processes and devices that will need that electricity, such as electric vehicles to green steel using electricity. So based on supply and demand I just don't see those very cheap off peak rates existing consistently in the future. Plus all the efficiency losses. Industrial process heat batteries still seem tentative at best? At least for the long term. And the heat pump was just an example. It was not the basis of my premise. I don't have a crystal ball, so good luck proving my doubts to be unwarranted.

[@danpowell3953]

Ironically, when an electric battery dies, it is also called a brick…

[@rondoenergy4228]

😆

[@rafael-adao]

Search for fogão de sol or fogão baiano

[@m2-x-n253]

Bricks do tend to get hot real quick nd last long,but so does others, then again, that design is very efficient...i like it, i hope it gets popular fast like ELON MUSK TESLA.

[@user-qr5vb3vm6e]

Yes, hydrogen and oxygen separated by wind or solar-powered batteries could make more happy than not with existing technology

[@makeguyver8596]

Ted seems to be a dragons den for people who are already millionaires. Not that I'm down on new tech but where are the game changers who aren't already holding us back with their business as usual approach to our over use problem.

[@bobjackson7516]

Here’s an idea: how about the things that we make, making them to last. So many things in life these days are fragile, low quality and short-lived. That means we’ll need to make another one to replace that one. Build it right the first time and that will help save the planet.