Raygen join worldwide developer Photon, prepares big 1000MWh solar storage space project

• Melbourne-based solar plus storage space developer RayGen Resources claims it has actually generated worldwide solar project developer Photon Energy as a small equity companion, as well as has prepare for a big 100MW/1,000 MWh solar plus storage space project.

RayGen just recently safeguarded $3 million in financing for a pilot project of what it calls its "solar hydro" storage space modern technology, which catches sunshine with mirrors as well as shops power in water. That plant, near Carwarp in north western Victoria, will certainly give 4MW of solar energy as well as 3MW/50MWh of storage space.

The most up to date statement states that Photon will certainly take an undefined equity risk in RayGen (thought to be less than 10 percent) and also work as project developer as well as EPC specialist for the projects it intends to present in Australia as well as in other places, consisting of the aspirational project for a 200MW solar plant with around 100MW/1000MWh storage space.

Photon Energy's CEO Georg Hotar stated: "Our financial investment in RayGen is our primary step right into the upstream section of the solar sector as well as it comes with an important time," Photon Energy CEO Georg Hotar stated in the declaration.

" The removal of solar power's intermittency as well as guaranteeing its 24-hour accessibility at grid-competitive expense is the holy grail as well as RayGen has actually located it.

" Our collaboration with RayGen will certainly allow us to resolve a large brand-new cosmos of possibilities both on-grid along with in off-grid remote areas consisting of islands."

Michael Gartner, the head of Photon Energy in Australia, claimed RayGen's PV Ultra solar module had actually confirmed itself as one of the most effective method to transform solar power right into electrical energy. "Combining high performance focused PV generation with thermal absorption as well as storage space, it attains the greatest power thickness of any kind of solar modern technology offered today."

He informed RenewEconomy the modern technology is a huge progression supplying affordable base lots, inertia as well as on-demand power, and also on-demand power was ending up being dramatically better than both "base-load" as well as variable eco-friendly power. Keeping warm was much less effective, however considerably reduced price than saving power in a battery.

" We will certainly see really intriguing LCOEs (levelised expense of power as well as storage space) from this modern technology," he stated. Gartner claimed prepare for a project the dimension of 100MW as well as 1000MWh were progressing, however stated it might not be situated in Australia.

The RayGen modern technology incorporates its exclusive PV Ultra solar modern technology-- which co-generates electrical energy as well as warm-- with a customized electro-thermal storage space cycle, called "Thermal Hydro", that makes use of existing commercial tools to provide high-performance, inexpensive power storage space.

PV Ultra produces electrical energy and also warmth from sunshine concentrated onto a tower-mounted photovoltaic receiver. The PV Ultra receiver consists of around 400 PV Ultra components, each creating 2.5 kW of electrical energy and also 5kW of warmth. The overall is 1MW of electrical power as well as 2MW of warm for a consolidated 3MW of power per PV Ultra area.

It claims PV Ultra is a modular system as well as can be scaled up and also reduced in 1MW devices to fit a selection of clients as well as projects.

The storage space element, additionally called "Thermal Hydro"-- makes use of PV Ultra's capability to cogenerate power and also warm, and also shops thermal power in 2 shielded water storage tanks with a 90 ° C temperature level distinction.

" RayGen has actually adjusted a thermal storage space modern technology extensively utilized in north European area heater for this distinct power storage space application," the business states, "When needed, strong power is sent off with a thermally driven Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) engine, a tested generation modern technology made use of in geothermal generation systems."

RayGen CEO Richard Payne claims approaching 100 percent renewable resource will certainly need storage space services that can save power cost-effectively for weeks, days or hrs as well as be released at large range around the globe.

"With the quality of Photon Energy's group as well as their breadth of experience with creating and also running solar projects worldwide, RayGen's innovation can quickly be running throughout a variety of markets as well as nations, aiding to make the change to eco-friendly baseload power a truth," he stated.

RayGen's companions in the Carwarp project are utility AGL as well as design company GHD. The solar energy plant will certainly give Australia's National Electricity Market with day-night sustainable power as well as supply concurrent power where it is seriously required in the West Murray area.