16 | Leah Kuritzky, PhD — Head of PV Operations, Antora Energy

🔥 Is it just a glorified toaster? Not quite: At more than 1500 °C (2700 °F), the carbon blocks inside Antora's unique thermal batteries are resistively heated (like toaster coils heat bread), storing energy glowing-hot at >1/4 the temperature of the Sun's surface. Our guest for this episode, Leah Kuritzky (Antora's Head of PV Operations) tells BioZen's CEO Nate Kirchhofer that the stored thermal energy can be used on demand, directly as heat for industrial processes (think anything from boiling water to melting steel), or converted back to electricity using thermophotovoltaic cells (which is Leah's expertise at Antora), all without burning fossil fuels.

Just like any other battery, including Li-ion, you charge Antora's battery with electricity. If it's renewable-energy-generated electricity—the cheapest form of primary energy in the world—it's going to be intermittent due to natural fluctuations in wind and sunshine. And that's where Antora shines: soaking up excess power when it's overgenerated and/or cheap, and then delivering it back 24/7 on demand. "It's really a beautiful marriage of technology and economics to tackle climate change," she says. And this is critical because 30 percent of all global emissions come from industry, with industrial heat alone accounting for 10 percent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions.

Stick around to hear about Antora's recent pilot near Fresno, CA and learn more about Leah's career path from energy efficient lighting (LEDs) to energy storage, guided by a focus on environmental impact, sustainability, and climate change. She has advice for anyone looking to pursue cleantech or make a jump to a new career.

Recorded 26 September 2023.

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