GlassPoint

GlassPoint began in 2009 with the ambition of bringing reliable, economical solar thermal energy to industrial users that depend on fossil fuels for process heat. Its technology combines large solar mirrors, enclosed-trough structures, and molten-salt thermal storage to capture sunlight and turn it into steam. The approach was designed for demanding, continuous operations rather than conventional electricity generation, allowing industrial facilities to reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions without requiring customers to make major capital investments or shut down production.

GlassPoint has developed its concept into a commercial industrial heat platform. Its first enclosed-trough project, Amal, began producing solar process steam commercially in 2012. Through its Steam-as-a-Service model, the company designs, builds, owns, and operates each installation on a customer's site and provides steam under a fixed 20-year pricing model. GlassPoint says its systems can supply continuous heat regardless of weather, reduce customers' annual fuel use by 50% to 80%, and operate at more than 60% of the world's installed solar process-steam capacity. Projects now serve heavy industries including oil and gas, metals, and mining in sunny regions worldwide.