Hardware Podcasts

Climate tech startups need strong techno-economic analysis (TEA)

Catalyst · 5 Oct 2023 · 48m

What this episode covers

Shayle Khan, an investor at Energy Impact Partners (EIP), discusses the critical role of Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) with his colleagues Dr. Greg Thiel and Dr. Melissa Ball. They identify common pitfalls in early-stage climate tech modeling, such as using unreasonable inputs like assuming 100% capacity factor for renewable electricity or ignoring the cost of purification for organic molecules. The guests emphasize the importance of system-level analysis over component-level focus, noting that balance-of-system costs often dominate total installed costs for technologies like batteries and solar. They also warn against 'modeling theater,' where excessive precision obscures the key sensitivities and critical path required for commercial viability.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Energy Impact Partners, Energy Hub, Cylindra, Mia Sole, First Solar
Also
Dr. Greg Thiel, Dr. Melissa Ball, Shayle Khan, LFP

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