# 138. How Thermal Batteries Will Scale Sustainable Energy ☀️🔋

- Show: [The Next Byte Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast)
- Published: 2023-09-05
- Length: 24m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2023-09-05-138-how-thermal-batteries-will-scale-sustainable-energy
- Listen: https://the-next-byte-wevolver.simplecast.com/episodes/138-how-thermal-batteries-will-scale-sustainable-energy-FOVYoFQW

## Summary

Hosts Daniel and For Bode discuss Antora Energy, a startup founded by MIT alumni Kearns and Beerman, which uses thermal batteries to solve renewable energy intermittency. The technology stores excess solar and wind power as heat in carbon blocks and converts it back to electricity using thermal photovoltaics, offering a longer-lasting and more recyclable alternative to chemical batteries. The hosts highlight the company's recent Series A funding, new manufacturing plant, and upcoming industrial projects targeting the chemical and food sectors.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2023-09-05-138-how-thermal-batteries-will-scale-sustainable-energy#t=0) Introduction: The Renewable Energy Storage Problem
- [2:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2023-09-05-138-how-thermal-batteries-will-scale-sustainable-energy#t=136) The Founding Story: Medley and Antora Energy
- [5:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2023-09-05-138-how-thermal-batteries-will-scale-sustainable-energy#t=333) Thermal Battery Technology and Carbon Blocks
- [9:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2023-09-05-138-how-thermal-batteries-will-scale-sustainable-energy#t=541) Thermal Photovoltaics and Thermodynamics
- [10:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2023-09-05-138-how-thermal-batteries-will-scale-sustainable-energy#t=636) Advantages Over Chemical Batteries: Durability and Recycling
- [14:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2023-09-05-138-how-thermal-batteries-will-scale-sustainable-energy#t=877) Modular Deployment and Grid Smoothing
- [19:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2023-09-05-138-how-thermal-batteries-will-scale-sustainable-energy#t=1173) Current Scale, Manufacturing, and 2025 Timeline

## Topics

- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)
- [Batteries & low-power design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/batteries-and-low-power)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Antora Energy (company)
- Medley (company)
- Tesla Powerwall (product)
- Impossible Burger (product)
- MIT (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Decarbonizing Heavy Industry: Antora Energy’s 2400°C Thermal Batteries](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2025-04-24-decarbonizing-heavy-industry-antora-energys-2400-c-thermal-batteries) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [Solving the conundrum of industrial heat](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/catalyst/2022-12-08-solving-the-conundrum-of-industrial-heat) (Catalyst)
- [Decarbonizing Industrial Heat with John O’Donnell, CEO at Rondo Energy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-05-11-decarbonizing-industrial-heat-with-john-odonnell-ceo-at-rondo-energy) (Hardware to Save a Planet)
- [Unlocking the renewable energy revolution with Ramya Swaminathan of Malta Inc.](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-10-12-unlocking-the-renewable-energy-revolution-with-ramya-swaminathan-of-malta-inc) (How I Built This)
- [Decarbonizing Heating and Housing Spaces: A Conversation with Jane Melia, Co-Founder and CEO of Harvest](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hardware-to-save-a-planet/2023-08-03-decarbonizing-heating-and-housing-spaces-a-conversation-with-jane-melia-co-found) (Hardware to Save a Planet)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2023-09-05-138-how-thermal-batteries-will-scale-sustainable-energy. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Next Byte Podcast.