Hyperlight Energy | Breaking Through the Cost Barrier in Solar Steam

Solve: Energy

OUR VISION: We envision a world of affordable renewable energy for everyone, everywhere, all the time.

OUR MISSION: We work every day to make our vision a reality in one generation.

INTRODUCING HYLUX

Concentrated solar without the heavy cost

Our solutions are affordable, light, nimble,
and can operate effectively at any scale.

THE CHALLENGE:
Every sector needs to cut emissions

Certain industries have struggled to find affordable ways to decarbonize operations. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)—using mirrors to capture the sun’s heat—is a promising form of renewable energy. However, most of these projects are giant steel and concrete structures, which makes them expensive and impractical for most industrial operations.

THE HYPERLIGHT BREAKTHROUGH:
Hylux™ — a lightweight, low-cost, modular solution

Our CSP solution, Hylux, is light, nimble, and can operate effectively on any scale. Instead of expensive concrete and steel, we use domestically produced recyclable plastic tubing manufactured in our own U.S. factory. The resulting sites are built at a fraction of the cost of traditional CSP.

HOW IT WORKS

Hylux relies on plastic, modular units that are easily transported and installed, keeping manufacturing costs down.

1

Steel: the standard, high-cost, large-scale approach.

Concentrated solar power (CSP) is a type of solar energy created when the sun hits mirrors that then reflect the light to a target. Typical CSP plants are built with expensive materials such as steel and concrete in large fields.

2 Recyclable plastic, extruded by the mile

Hylux uses low-cost plastic tubes as the mirror support structure — eliminating the expensive steel and concrete traditionally used.

3 No onsite factory, no heavy equipment

The units are fabricated, assembled, and calibrated at the factory. They are delivered to the site by truck, and hand-carried and clicked into place.

4 Automatic solar tracking generates high quality heat

The low-cost mirror system aims sunlight on the receiver containing a circulating heat transfer fluid which is the energy carrier that delivers valuable high-temperature thermal energy to the industrial process end-use.

5 Plug-and-play integration to existing thermal end uses

The industrial process makes use of the heat through a heat exchanger, typically to produce steam for the specific end-use. Food and fuel production are two large industries that operate this way. The steam can also be used to drive a turbine to produce electric power.

6 Tectonic Sun^TM works with Hylux^TM to store solar heat for future use

Hylux replaces the burning of natural gas to provide the heat needed at enhanced oil recovery sites. Tectonic Sun will then store a massive amount of that solar heat in the geological formation itself. This heat can be brought to the surface weeks or months later. It’s like solar energy with an on/off switch.

The Hyperlight Difference

Affordable and accessible

Hylux opens the doors for industries to decarbonize at any scale.

RADICALLY AFFORDABLE

Plastic tubing and modular units keep manufacturing costs down.

DOMESTICALLY PRODUCED

Manufactured and produced in our home state of California.

RAPID
SCALING

We started Hylux small and grew rationally. Now we know it can take the heat.

NEAR TERM PROFITABILITY

Our low costs mean tremendous long-term opportunity in global markets.

INSTALLED
ONSITE

No massive mirror fields here — Hylux can fit in most industrial sites.

ACCESSIBLE
SOLAR POWER

The Hylux system can fit a wide range of industrial sites and needs no onsite factory to maintain.

Applications

Global oil and food industries are looking to decarbonize.

Process heat in California is an enormous market and we’re positioned to revolutionize it from the ground up.

Now

The food industry in CA alone spends over $200M a year on fuel. Most facilities are too small to warrant a traditional CSP installation; that’s why Hylux is a perfect solution.

Soon

The enhanced oil recovery industry in CA alone spends over $1.3B on thermal energy. Putting CSP at oil recovery sites will save money and cut carbon emissions.

Future

The world needs dispatchable, renewable power generation. This is one of the largest markets on earth and is measured in trillions of dollars. Our CSP solution is poised to disrupt this industry.

Why Hyperlight?

Big vision. Hot tech. The right team.

We’re a team of thinkers and doers who aren’t afraid to find creative solutions to difficult problems.

The Story

Hyperlight CEO John King and his team stumbled upon their flagship product, Hylux, while working on another project to try to develop a bioenergy system to produce algal biofuels.

The Team

Our management is made up of practiced business leaders with hands-on experience in renewable energy.

Our Partners & Supporters

Hyperlight has been funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the California Energy Commission, and SoCalGas, to name a few.

Learn More About Us