RAPID

The STARS technology offers a new and unique means for converting solar energy into chemical energy. The STARS technology is inherently modular and relies on process intensification to channel point source solar heat into an onboard reactor. Scale up of STARS technology is achieved by “numbering up” since each STARS unit is based on a single parabolic dish concentrator with integrated reactor for conversion of solar to chemical energy stored in synthetic gas or liquid fuels. This approach addresses a key constraint with centralized processing, where upfront capital can be prohibitive (hundreds of millions of dollars for gas-to-liquids systems and similar processes). Indeed, numbering up allows production to be expanded as demand grows without a large upfront capital expense. The key benefit to STARS from the proposed project is the reduction of equipment capital cost and establishing a supply chain for sourcing components, such that commercial adoption can be accelerated.