A California oil facility just hit a major clean-energy milestone, and it could reshape how factories, refineries, and other heavy industries stay powered.
Rondo Energy has switched on what it says is the world's largest industrial heat battery, proving that solar power can now deliver the extremely high heat required to run industrial operations around the clock.
According to Electrek, it is located at a Holmes Western Oil facility in California, and the 100-megawatt-hour system is charged entirely by an onsite solar array.
During the day, the Rondo Heat Battery stores energy in ultra-durable bricks; at night, it releases that heat to produce constant, high-pressure steam.
After 10 weeks of daily operation, the system has already surpassed expectations, hitting over 97% efficiency and delivering temperatures above 1,000°C (1,832°F). That's the heat equivalent of about 10,000 home heating systems.
Because the heat battery plugs into the facility's existing infrastructure, it can supply steam through the same pipes used by gas-fired boilers, meaning no costly retrofits.
By replacing natural gas with solar energy, the technology could help facilities avoid volatile fuel prices and slash climate-warming pollution.
Industrial heat drives more than 25% of global energy use, so this breakthrough has enormous potential. Methane, a byproduct of dirty fuel extraction and burning, is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide at heating the planet, so reducing its release can slow the rate of rising global temperatures.
"The Rondo Heat Battery is now proven at industrial scale," said CEO Eric Trusiewicz, per Electrek. "Our customers are improving their competitiveness and slashing their carbon emissions at the same time."
This development mirrors other game-changing innovations, such as tech enabling cleaner power plants and revolutionary fuel research that boosts energy resilience.
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We should pay for all of it 👍 Together, they signal a trend: cleaner tech isn't just for homes and EVs anymore — it's rapidly transforming big industry, too.
For everyday people, smaller-scale solutions offer similar benefits, from community solar savings to energy-efficient upgrades at home.
Installing solar panels is one of the ultimate home energy hacks — in many cases, it can bring your energy bill down to near $0.
EnergySage provides a free service that lets you compare quotes from vetted local installers and save up to $10,000 on solar.
Going solar also makes running other energy-efficient appliances, like heat pumps, even cheaper. Mitsubishi can help you find an affordable heat pump that's right for your home.
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