Justin Raade: Making solar storable
This entrepreneur is using his doctoral experience in energy storage to make solar prices more competitive with fossil fuels.
By Roni RobbinsFri, May 04 2012 at 1:04 AM EST
SUN SAVER: Justin Raade in front of solar panels. His company Halotechnics seeks new technologies to improve storing and using electricty produced from solar panels.(Photo courtesy of Justin Raade)
Silicon Valley scientist Justin Raade was screening lubricants for industrial uses three years ago when he noticed a machine collecting dust in the corner. Changing gears, he began his search for the perfect mixture of materials needed to solve a major problem in the solar energy industry.
“The more I read about solar, the more I realized the bottleneck keeping it from being competitive with fossil fuel was storage,” says the 33-year-old Raade, during a week in which he balances speaking engagements with the imminent birth of his second child....................................................
