In order to meet demand peaks, utilities often have to fire up dirty power plants, essentially generators that burn extra fuel per unit of electricity. So the electricity from those peaker plants is not only the most expensive but also has the highest emissions of any electricity on the grid. But now there’s a solution on the horizon.

In this episode of Hardware to Save a Planet, host Dylan Garrett speaks with Mia Rath, co-founder and CTO of Lumindt, about how solid-state hydrogen storage is transforming commercial energy. They explore how metal hydride batteries decouple power from energy capacity, enabling long-duration, cost-effective storage. Mia explains why this approach outperforms lithium-ion systems, slashes operating costs, and reduces peaker-plant emissions. Listeners will gain insights into scaling hardware innovation, material breakthroughs, and strategies for resilient, on-site renewable energy deployment.

What you will learn:

How to decouple power and energy in battery systems
Why metal hydride storage beats compressed and cryogenic hydrogen
The material science principle driving Lumen's competitive advantage
How to build a resilient on-site energy strategy for data centers and warehouses
Why iterative hardware manufacturing is non-negotiable for startups
How to navigate permitting advantages in emerging energy technologies

Mia Rath is the Cofounder and CTO of Lumen, a pioneering energy storage company developing novel solid-state hydrogen battery technology for commercial applications. With a background in aerospace engineering and materials science from Georgia Tech, Rath has leveraged her expertise in advanced materials to create an innovative solution that decouples power and energy in energy storage systems.

Hardware to Save a Planet is brought to you by Synapse. We are a global product development and engineering firm that partners with visionary companies to design, develop, and realize breakthrough hardware and AI-powered innovations that advance climate technologies.

To learn more about Synapse and potential business partnerships we offer outside of the podcast, please visit: https://www.synapse.com/contact/ to get in touch!

Episode Resources:

Mia Rath on LinkedIn
Lumindt Website
Dylan Garrett on LinkedIn
Synapse Podcast Website
Synapse Website
Hardware to Save a Planet Apple Podcasts
Hardware to Save a Planet Spotify

Hardware to Save a Planet is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so

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Previous guests include: Peter Reinhardt of Charm Industrial, Carlos Araque of Quaise, Noah McQueen of Heirloom, Areeb Malik of Glacier, Jeff Satwicz of Bigbelly, Abe Schneider of Natel Energy, Insiya Jafferjee of Shellworks, Paul Gross of Remora, Erika Boeing of Accelerate Wind and Daniel Betts of Blue Frontier.

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011- Who’s Really in Charge

Pastor Jim Cymbala: The Calling

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