Our Innovation Analysts recently looked into emerging technologies and up-and-coming startups working on solutions for the energy sector. As there is a large number of startups working on a wide variety of solutions, we want to share our insights with you. This time, we are taking a look at 5 promising distributed energy resource startups.
Heat Map: 5 Top Distributed Energy Resource Startups
For our 5 top picks, we used a data-driven startup scouting approach to identify the most relevant solutions globally. The Global Startup Heat Map below highlights 5 interesting examples out of 481 relevant solutions. Depending on your specific needs, your top picks might look entirely different.
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SALT Energy – Micro-CHP Plants
Combined heat and power (CPH) production is a highly efficient process that provides primary energy savings of about 40% as compared to separate electricity purchase and thermal energy production using gas boilers at the facility. Building CHP plants or gas cogeneration systems in the vicinity of the site of energy consumption reduce the cost of transportation and losses from energy distribution.
SALT Energy is a US-based startup that installs 3-30 MW clean energy plants that utilize solar, wind, CHP, and other green energy sources. They develop a series of micro-CHP plants, including multi-site energy efficiency retrofits. The startup’s solution combines multiple generation technologies to take industrial facilities “off-line”. It shifts the role of the electrical grid from the primary source of power to the facility backup. This saves the host money and increases infrastructure security.
Synthica Energy – Renewable Natural Gas
Biogas systems use anaerobic digestion to convert organic materials, such as plant and animal products, into biogas. Bioenergy generated from diversified sources reduces local communities’ dependence on oil and petroleum-based fuels. Renewable natural gas (RNG) is pipeline-quality processed biogas that reduces emissions when mixed with natural gas or used directly in a gas-fired combustion engine or a microturbine to create electricity.
The US-based startup Synthica Energy develops bioenergy conversion facilities to produce renewable natural gas. They divert one million tons of organic feedstocks from landfills per year and generate enough energy to power the equivalent of 30,000 homes. The startup’s anaerobic digestion plants use modern engineering and safety systems and are safe renewable energy facilities. Additionally, the solutions are fully compatible with existing energy and gas grids and do not require any grid upgrades.
Gaia Wind – Small Wind Turbines
Microgeneration with small wind turbines is efficient and strengthens the grid, provided the sites have winds of sufficient speed. These systems are also one of the most cost-effective sources of renewable energy to power homes. A small wind energy system lowers electricity bills and brings electricity to remote locations that are beyond the reach of power lines.
Gaia Wind is a UK-based manufacturer of a quiet, small wind turbine generator. The Gaia-Wind 133 generator produces 30,000 units of green electricity per year. This offsets around 17 tonnes of CO2 emissions, equivalent to the carbon footprint of the average 4 person household. The blades of the generator rotate at a constant to reduce wear and tear and minimize maintenance costs. Since the startup uses off-the-shelf components, customers do not have to worry about the long-term availability of spare parts.
Solarify – Customer Sited PV
Solar electric systems are the most commonly available renewable energy solution for residential consumers. The modular nature of the photovoltaic (PV) panels allows consumers to make incremental investments. Customer sited solar power is an economically viable solution to promote green energy use and improve the environment. Customer sited PV power partly or fully frees consumers from dependence on utility companies while retaining the option to source power from the grid when needed.
The Indian startup Solarify provides photovoltaic systems to mount on the rooftops of either residential or commercial buildings. Their rooftop PV installations function at the tail-end of the grid, enhance the stability of the grid, reduce energy loss, and save costs. The startup executes end-to-end solar energy installations and offers grid-tied, grid-interactive, and off-grid solutions.
VOLTA – Battery Backup Generators
Distributed energy resources also function like backup generators to provide electricity during power outages. These include situations after severe storms or during days that witness high energy demand. Battery backup generators have numerous benefits, such as the greater deployment of renewable energy, secure, resilient, and reliable supply, and emissions reductions. The distributed backup generation connects to the electric utility’s lower-voltage distribution lines. It supports the delivery of clean, reliable power to additional customers and reduces losses along the power lines.
VOLTA is a US-based startup that delivers scalable platform solutions for renewable energy and sustainable green buildings. They develop battery backup generators to store electricity generated from clean energy sources. Later, they discharge the stored power to specific loads or for applications such as emergency backup, peak shifting, load allocation, and demand response.
What About The Other 476 Solutions?
While we believe data is key to creating insights it can be easy to be overwhelmed by it. Our ambition is to create a comprehensive overview and provide actionable innovation intelligence for your Proof of Concept (PoC), partnership, or investment targets. The 5 distributed energy resource startups showcased above are promising examples out of 481 we analyzed for this article. To identify the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria and collaboration strategy, get in touch.
