Robert Mierisch is Co-founder, CTO Emeritus and Key advisor for Terrajoule Corporation, California, whose energy storage solution will overcome the barrier of intermittency for solar energy in electricity generation in our 100% renewable energy future.  

In 2009, Terrajoule's CTO Robert Mierisch invented the practical breakthrough that yields thermal energy storage at less than 20% of the cost of any form of battery storage, per kWh electrical of storage capacity.  Terrajoule storage does not degrade over time, has no limitation on charge-discharge cycles, lasts at least 25 years, and utilizes no toxic or rare materials.Further, Terrajoule's strategy is based on the conviction that distributed power generation will play a much larger role in electricity generation than it has before.  Therefore Terrajoule power plants are modular from 100 kW to 10 MW and more. quickly and massively scalable to GW of distributed power generation with modest amounts of investment capital.  Therefore the system components are all established technologies built within existing automotive and industrial supply chains worldwide.  Ramping up production requires no new factories, no new materials, and no new manufacturing equipment or processes.

Major problems are sometimes resolved with unexpected solutions.  That is the case with Terrajoule.  Who expected that reciprocating steam piston engines would play a major role in 21st century energy growth?Robert Mierisch was previously Research Director, Thermal Systems at Ausra Incorporated, California with Dr David Mills. He has also had a long career in academia. Robert has now returned to Australia to commercialise his solar thermal storage technology with Terrajoule Australis, and we're very excited to be one of the first audiences to hear the latest news.

Check out this BZE radio podcast for the exciting preview:

Robert Mierisch CTO Terrajoule Australis