Solarify provides scalable solar thermal energy storage systems that deliver fossil-free heat for indoor farming, crop drying, and water treatment. Its STESS technology combines a high-efficiency solar air heater, rock-based thermal storage, and an IoT control layer to supply reliable hot air day and night, reducing energy costs and carbon emissions for agricultural operations.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Indoor farmers rely heavily on fossil fuels to heat greenhouses and other facilities, which drives up operational costs and contributes to significant CO₂ emissions. Maintaining optimal temperatures, humidity, and ventilation is also challenging due to outdoor climate variability, leading to stunted plant growth, mold, and reduced yields.
Solution
Solarify provides a complete solar thermal energy storage system (STESS) that generates fossil-free heat on-site for indoor farming, crop drying, and water treatment. The system captures sunlight with a tracking-free solar air heater, converts it into hot process air, and stores it in a modular rock-based thermal battery for use at night or during cloudy periods. An intelligent IoT layer controls the flow of hot and ambient air to deliver safe 15–30°C heat, ensuring consistent greenhouse temperatures and extended growing seasons. This approach reduces energy bills, cuts carbon footprints, and supports year-round agricultural productivity.
Target Audience
Primary customers are indoor farmers, greenhouse operators, and agricultural businesses seeking affordable, fossil-free heating solutions, as well as facilities involved in crop drying and advanced water treatment.
Features
- High-efficiency solar air heater with ≥65% energy conversion, requiring no sun tracking
- Modular rock-based thermal energy storage delivering hot air at 100–120°C with ≥75% round-trip efficiency and ≤0.8%/h standby losses
- IoT-enabled control system that blends stored hot air with ambient intake for precise temperature regulation
- Scalable design suitable for greenhouses of all sizes, crop drying, and advanced water treatment applications
- Supports zero liquid discharge by evaporating high-salinity wastewater and recovering purified water
- 15-year system lifetime with 16 MWh envisioned annual productivity per installation