Polar Night Energy provides the Sand Battery, an industrial‑scale thermal energy storage system that converts low‑cost renewable electricity into high‑temperature heat stored in inert sand. The solid‑state solution offers long life, low emissions, and automated integration, enabling utilities, manufacturers, and district‑heating providers to decarbonize heat, capture excess renewable generation, and earn revenue from grid balancing services.
Funding
$8.8M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Industrial processes and power systems increasingly rely on renewable electricity, but the intermittent nature of solar and wind creates a need for large‑scale, low‑cost energy storage. Without adequate storage, excess renewable generation cannot be captured, leading to curtailment, higher grid balancing costs, and continued reliance on fossil‑fuel‑based heat.
Solution
Polar Night Energy offers the Sand Battery, an industrial‑scale thermal energy storage system that stores renewable electricity as high‑temperature heat in sand or sand‑like media. The system can be charged using low‑cost grid electricity or on‑site renewable generation and later discharge heat to drive industrial processes or provide district heating, effectively shifting energy use to periods of low demand. Its solid‑state design eliminates toxic materials, offers a long operational life, and can be integrated automatically with existing energy management systems. By enabling participation in reserve and balancing markets, the Sand Battery also creates additional revenue streams for operators. The technology is modular, allowing scaling from single‑site installations to multi‑site networks across various industrial sectors.
Target Audience
Primary customers are utilities, industrial manufacturers, and district‑heating providers seeking to replace fossil‑fuel heat with renewable, low‑cost thermal storage solutions.
Features
- High‑temperature thermal storage using abundant, inert sand as the energy carrier, providing safe, low‑emission operation
- Fully automated charge/discharge cycles with remote monitoring and control, enabling seamless integration with renewable generation sources
- Long design life and minimal degradation, reducing total cost of ownership compared with battery chemistries
- Ability to supply process heat, steam, or district heating, supporting decarbonization of heavy industry and heating networks
- Compatibility with grid services such as reserve markets, allowing operators to monetize stored energy through ancillary services
- Scalable modular architecture that can be customized for capacities ranging from megawatt‑hour to gigawatt‑hour levels