These are independent reviews of the products mentioned, but TIME receives a commission when purchases are made through affiliate links at no additional cost to the purchaser.
From melting sand into glass to smelting metals, the world’s industries require heat, and a lot of it. Today, they get most of it from fossil fuels, and finding an efficient green alternative is a major challenge. Antora Energy may have a solution. Its technology, known as a thermal battery, involves using electricity to heat up graphite blocks to more than 3,200°F inside an insulated container. When a window in the container is opened, heat is released, which can also be converted to electricity with thermophotovoltaic cells. The company raised more than $50 million in venture capital in February, and it more recently started operating a commercial scale pilot project in Fresno, Calif.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- The 100 Most Influential People in AI 2024
- Inside the Rise of Bitcoin-Powered Pools and Bathhouses
- How Nayib Bukele’s ‘Iron Fist’ Has Transformed El Salvador
- What Makes a Friendship Last Forever?
- Long COVID Looks Different in Kids
- Your Questions About Early Voting, Answered
- Column: Your Cynicism Isn’t Helping Anybody
- The 32 Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2024
