A solar-powered boiler and steam storage unit developed by Sunvapor and installed in Brawley. Photo: Courtesy of Oberon Fuels
Anunusual project that uses solar-powered steam and storage to decarbonize clean fuel production is up and running in Imperial County.
Why it matters: The project could help industrial solar steam go mainstream, because for the first time, the tech has been part of a power-purchase agreement, the companies behind the project say.
A power-purchase agreement is when a developer pays to install, operate and own an energy system on property owned by a customer who agrees to buy the energy for a predetermined time.
Driving the news: Solar steam company Sunvapor built the project at Oberon Fuels' renewable fuel-production facility in Brawley.
The solar steam replaces natural gas-powered steam Oberon had relied on to create clean fuel, lowering its carbon footprint.
The big picture: Solar-powered industrial heat is emerging, in part, as a result of industrial decarbonization incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act.
Bottom line: Solar industrial steam is still fledgling technology, but the Brawley project's adoption of attractive financing is a major step that could help it grow as potential customers see a way to avoid initial costs.
