Dan Stack, co-founder and CEO of Electrified Thermal Solutions (ETS), has been working tirelessly for a decade to transform the humble brick into a game-changing technology for industrial heating. By altering fire bricks used in glassmaking and other industries, Stack and his team have successfully created electrical conductors that can carry a current and generate intense heat, simply by stacking them atop each other.

This innovative solution tackles a significant challenge in the quest to decarbonize industries like cement, steelmaking, and more, which heavily rely on fossil fuels for their high-temperature processes. ETS's thermal batteries, dubbed Joule Hive, have the potential to replace these fossil fuels with clean, electrically-generated heat.

The company has already demonstrated the efficacy of its technology with an elevator-sized prototype, which has logged thousands of hours of operation. According to Stack, the bricks are designed to provide heat for years, leveraging the existing durability of fire bricks that can withstand temperatures above 1,700 Celsius for decades.

A key aspect of ETS's solution is its ability to operate continuously, providing heat 24/7/365, while also allowing customers to charge the bricks during periods of low electricity prices, such as when there is excess wind or solar power. This flexibility enables companies to take advantage of cost savings and incentives from grid operators, making the technology more competitive with natural gas.

In regions where renewables are plentiful and natural gas is expensive, ETS's thermal batteries can offer a return on investment comparable to traditional fossil fuel-based systems. As the company continues to refine its technology, Stack envisions it eventually reaching temperatures of 1,800 degrees Celsius, making it viable for industries like steelmaking. In the future, the heat generated by the bricks could even be used to power turbines in natural gas power plants, further displacing fossil fuels.

To achieve its ambitious goals, ETS has secured $19 million in funding from a consortium of investors, including Clean Energy Ventures, Clean Energy Venture Group, EDP Ventures, GVP Climate, Holcim Maqer Ventures, Mass Ventures, Starlight Ventures, TechEnergy Ventures, Tupras Ventures, and Vale Ventures. The startup plans to commission its commercial-scale demonstration in mid-2025, marking a significant milestone in its mission to decarbonize industrial heating.

As the world continues to grapple with the challenges of climate change, innovations like ETS's thermal batteries offer a beacon of hope for a cleaner, more sustainable future. By targeting industries that are notoriously difficult to decarbonize, ETS is poised to make a significant impact on global emissions, paving the way for a fossil fuel-free future.