SHEC Energy Corporation (formerly SHEC LABS - Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation) has shared that its solar thermal generation technology has attracted a grant for approximately $40 million.

SHEC is required to raise matching funds of $60 million in order to access the grant. The funds will be used to establish manufacturing operations that could produce up to 100 megawatts of solar thermal station components per year. At this time, SHEC is unable to disclose the identity of the source of the grant.

Recently, the facilities of the company were visited by a government agency representative to perform a technical assessment of its technology. The technology examined was a mobile pilot plant involved in field trials for two years. The mobile pilot plant was dismantled and inspected for corrosion and wear.

The mobile pilot plant consisted of a solar concentrator that concentrated sunlight by a factor of up to 5,000, directing it into a solar receiver to be harnessed. "Despite the intense solar energy conditions endured by the receiver, it was found to be in pristine condition. Although several minor wear issues were identified and resolved, ultimately the core technology performed flawlessly, proving ready for commercialisation," stated the company.

Commercial-scale systems will concentrate sunlight by factors of up to 16,000, it added.

In July this year, the company had announced that it has developed solar concentrator and complementary solar receiver technology that is able to concentrate sunlight to a very high level. Sunlight has been concentrated up to 5,000 times the intensity of the sun and in commercial scale systems could be high as 11,000 to 16,000 times the intensity of the sun. This immense solar concentration creates high heat at the focal point that approach the surface temperature of the sun at 6,000 °C (11,000 °F). Metal placed at the focus is instantly melted.

To harness this intense sunlight, a solar receiver has been developed to absorb this energy without destruction. Solar receivers radiate energy back into the environment. This is a phenomena called emissivity loss. The amount of energy radiated from an object increases by the power of four in relation to its temperature.