Photoncycle: Dreaming of eternal sunshine

Using renewable energy in private homes is a threefold challenge, explains Brandtzæg:

"First, you must have access to a renewable energy source, for example sun that is captured via solar cells. This energy must then be stored in batteries."

And here you encounter the third and unsolved challenge: Although the solar cells can theoretically produce enough electricity for an entire year, today's batteries cannot store more than a few hours of sunshine. It creates an unused energy surplus during sunny periods.

"A battery in an electric car can store enough energy to drive for miles, but the battery is large and heavy. Imagine then that you are going to store solar energy from an entire summer, which will last a household through a long and cold winter. Then you have to use a different storage technology", says Brandtzæg.

Using advanced hydrogen technology, Photoncycle's system can store 10,000 kWh in just three cubic metres. It is enough to accommodate all the surplus energy produced on a roof with solar cells in most detached houses.

Patented hydrogen technology

After starting with a two-person office together with chief researcher Sebastian Gutterød in 2021, there are now 20 people on the premises in Oslo Science Park. In the basement, they have established one of Norway's best and most advanced hydrogen laboratories.

Brandtzæg is sparing with the details but can reveal that much of the patented innovation that lies at the core of the product takes place in this lab. A combination of top-level chemists and engineers, including ten employees with PhDs, are working on the development of the technology.

"We use a digital prototype, so-called Model-Based Systems Engineering, where we simulate until we arrive at what is the optimal architecture for the system. That way, we can test different configurations of the individual components and see how things fit together before we build a pilot."

By building the entire system digitally, the company can avoid costly mistakes.

"A classic mistake for a company like ours is that you have an idea and then start thinking 'I have to build a pilot to see if this works'. Then you spend all your money on a mediocre pilot, run out of money, and then go bankrupt", says Brandtzæg.

Looking to Europe

The economist Brandtzæg got the idea for the company after a stay at MIT in Boston in 2019-2020. After testing various innovation ideas, he did a technical feasibility study with SINTEF. Now, five years later, he estimates that they are about two years from the launch of a finished product, followed by full-scale production.

"We have received a lot of attention internationally and were the most-read-about startup in Europe last year on Sifted, the Financial Times' publication for startups. Now we have also acquired one of the leading venture funds in Europe, the Lifeline Venture Fund in Finland, which, together with three other funds, has invested 5 million euros.

Photoncycle has ongoing pilot projects with OBOS Block Watne here in Norway. Now they are looking towards Denmark, where a lot of wind power will be developed and thermal power will be phased out, as the main market.

"If you have 200,000 units installed in Denmark, then you can, in theory, run the entire power load in Denmark on the Photoncycle system. Customers can take advantage of fluctuations in the market by importing electricity when prices are low and exporting electricity back to the grid when prices are high. The result is more energy security, reduced CO₂ emissions and cheaper electricity for the customer."

The plan going forward is to target customers in Europe, especially those who use natural gas for heating.

"This is a completely new and quite complicated technology, so we have to work on how we approach an end user. We are also aware that the product itself must look good. After all, you are placing it outside your house - even if most of it is underground", concludes Brandtzæg.