Tin-Powered Energy Storage with Fourth Power

Arvin Ganesan is the CEO of Fourth Power, which is developing a flexible-duration thermal energy system designed to meet the needs of an electrical grid increasingly powered by renewables. Their system heats liquid tin to extremely high temperatures, circulates it through carbon blocks for heat storage, and converts that heat back to electricity on demand via thermal photovoltaics. The technology aims to address both short-duration energy storage (5–10 hours) and long-duration needs (100 hours or more), with the ability to discharge power within seconds.

At the end of last year, Fourth Power raised a Series A led by DCVC, with participation from Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Arvin’s fascinating career includes time in the U.S. Senate as a senior policy advisor to the late Senator Frank Lautenberg, over five years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and nearly six years at Apple as the head of global energy and environmental policy.

In this episode, we explore Arvin's career path, his decision to join Fourth Power, and why the company’s work matters for the future of energy storage.

In this episode, we cover: 

• [1:49] Arvin's career journey: From the EPA to Apple and beyond
• [8:13] Why Arvin chose to become CEO of Fourth Power
• [10:29] Focusing on electricity storage over industrial heat
• [12:06] Fourth Power’s thermal energy storage system explained
• [17:11] How Fourth Power uses photovoltaics for efficient energy conversion
• [20:36] Trade-offs between Fourth Power's technology and lithium-ion batteries
• [25:03] Co-location strategies and powering renewable energy
• [28:21] Collaborating with utilities to meet grid demands
• [31:09] Fourth Power’s milestones and current progress
• [32:57] Arvin’s transition to a CEO role and what he’s learning
• [34:59] Market optimism and the potential impact of Fourth Power’s solution

Recommended Listening: 

• Onshoring Clean Energy with Giulia Siccardo, MESC

Episode recorded on Aug 20, 2024 (Published on Dec 12, 2024)

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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant