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SolarSteam develops modular solar thermal systems designed to provide scalable and cost-effective industrial heat using renewable energy. The company employs proprietary concentrated solar technology, which utilizes lightweight curved mirrors to harness solar energy for heating and cooling applications. This approach aims to deliver efficient and sustainable thermal solutions for various industrial processes.
The company was founded in 2017 by David Babich and Apostol Radev. Based in Calgary, Canada, SolarSteam emerged from the insight that there was a significant opportunity to reduce heat emissions and costs in industrial settings through novel renewable concentrated solar technology. Their work focuses on developing hardtech solutions within the clean energy sector.
SolarSteam's product is targeted at industrial customers seeking to decarbonize their operations and lower energy expenses. The company's long-term vision is to establish the lowest cost and cleanest method for generating process heat, thereby transforming the landscape of industrial energy consumption. They aim to contribute significantly to sustainable energy solutions by making solar thermal widely accessible and economically viable for industry.
SolarSteam is a Calgary-based cleantech company founded in 2017 that develops concentrated solar thermal technology to produce low-cost renewable heat and steam for industrial, agricultural, and district heating applications.[1][2][3] Its proprietary system uses lightweight curved parabolic mirrors enclosed in a transparent membrane to concentrate sunlight onto a receiver tube, heating boiler feed water for direct integration with existing boilers, reducing fuel use and emissions by up to 60% while targeting clients needing high-pressure steam (e.g., 250°C at 40 bars).[1][2][3][6][7] The company serves heat-intensive sectors like food processing, healthcare, and large final emitters in Alberta, with a mission to enable plug-and-play renewable heat adoption in extreme climates and a bold goal of deploying 1.3 GWt capacity to cut 1 Gt of CO2 annually by 2033.[1][4][5]
Growth momentum includes a commissioned TRL7/8 pilot in Ponoka, Alberta (2022), active demonstrations in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario, and interest in the US and Europe; the firm operates at the convertible note stage with ongoing advancements like DfMSA (Design for Manufacturing, Shipping, and Assembly) for modular, scalable deployment.[1][3][4][8]
SolarSteam originated from CEO Apostol Radev's graduate studies in Sustainable Energy Development at the University of Calgary, where he conceptualized the enclosed concentrating solar collector to address high-cost renewable heat in harsh climates.[1][6] Incorporated in 2017, the company progressed rapidly from ideation through techno-economic assessments, prototypes, third-party validation, and the construction of a demonstration TRL7 pilot with Scovan Engineering in Ponoka, Alberta, commissioned in Q2 2022.[1][3][4]
Pivotal moments include field-testing the TRL8 pilot for a year, incorporating AI/machine learning for ESG validation, and evolving to next-generation ultra-light collectors with DfMSA for easier manufacturing and deployment; today, it advances three demonstration projects amid rising demand for decarbonized process heat.[1][4][6][8]
SolarSteam rides the industrial heat decarbonization trend, where process heat accounts for ~25% of global emissions, amplified by net-zero mandates, ESG pressures, and 2030 targets (20-30% reductions) for large emitters.[1][6] Timing aligns with rising carbon costs, energy security needs post-crises, and solar thermal's maturity for non-electrified heat, positioning Alberta as a hub via LFEs adopting concentrated solar.[1][4]
Market forces favor it: hybrid modularity avoids stranded assets, modular scalability suits capex-constrained clients, and extreme-climate resilience opens northern markets underserved by open-trough competitors.[4][6] It influences the ecosystem by proving solar steam viability, enabling cross-sector adoption (e.g., food, ag, districts), and accelerating cleantech via pilots that validate ROI and integration.[1][3]
SolarSteam is poised for scale with production lines planned soon, leveraging pilots to secure US/Europe deals and hybrid TES integrations for 24/7 reliability.[1][4][6] Trends like AI-optimized ESG, policy-driven heat electrification bans, and green hydrogen synergies will propel growth, potentially hitting multi-GWt deployments by 2030 if capex drops further via DfMSA.[1][5][8]
Its influence may evolve from niche demonstrator to process heat leader, empowering industries to hit net-zero without full overhauls—transforming SolarSteam from Radev's grad project into a $5B revenue engine by 2033.[5][6]