Antora Insider: A Q&A with Cece Luciano, Thermophotovoltaic Module Development and Test Engineer
Antora Energy turns intermittent renewable electricity into a low-cost, reliable, on-demand source of zero-carbon heat and power. To do this, we start by heating up a “thermal battery” to glowing-hot temperatures so they emit a beam of light with 500 times the intensity of sunlight. This light can be used to provide high-temperature heat to industrial processes, or it can be converted back into electricity using Antora’s thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cells. Solar photovoltaic cells are designed to capture light from the sun, and TPV cells are designed to capture light from glowing-hot objects.
Earlier this year, Antora hit two major TPV milestones: we built the world’s first dedicated manufacturing line for TPV cells and demonstrated an efficiency rate greater than 40% for our TPV technology, setting a new industry benchmark. These achievements have unlocked a new path to decarbonizing industry and the electric grid, breaking the manufacturability and efficiency barriers that have held back the technology to date.
Behind all these groundbreaking achievements is a dynamic, world-class team of engineers and leaders. Today, we hear from Thermophotovoltaic Module Development and Test Engineer Cece Luciano. Cece’s deep desire to build a climate-focused career brought her to Antora, where she helps design, build, and test Antora’s TPV solutions.
Can you tell us a bit about your role at Antora Energy?
As a development and test engineer on our TPV solution, I’m focused on getting power out of our thermal storage system. Antora’s storage system is distinct from any other technology in that it’s capable of delivering both zero-carbon heat and zero-carbon electricity to our customers. I help design, develop, and test the thermophotovoltaic panels that are used to generate electric power from our system. Much of my work involves developing our TPV cells into larger units that can ultimately be bolted onto the side of our thermal battery and used to generate significant amounts of power.
What is your professional background? How did you end up in the climate tech space?
I became interested in climate tech later in my undergraduate studies. Up until that point, for most of my life, I was planning to attend medical school to pursue a career as a physician. Over time, however, I became increasingly aware of the urgency surrounding climate change — I saw climate impacts firsthand through extreme weather and flooding in South Florida, where I was attending college. One way or another, I knew I wanted to make an impact on the world: climate change was this big, looming challenge and I wanted to be part of the solution.
Professionally, I’ve been with Antora Energy nearly from the very beginning, starting as an intern before coming on full-time. Going from a company of just a few people and seeing the growth we’ve had over the last few years has been incredibly rewarding and fulfilling.
What makes you passionate about Antora’s mission and the tech you’re working on?
Tackling climate change is a massive challenge, and Antora’s technology is poised to have a huge impact on industry, an area that has traditionally been hard to decarbonize. It’s inspiring to be involved in the development and launch of a product that is on a path to have such a large decarbonization impact and see its tangible effects as we move closer to deployment at scale.
Antora’s culture is one of the things I’ve loved the most about my work. The team here is made up of some of the smartest, most passionate people I’ve ever met. When I was just starting out my professional career, everyone at the company was so kind and eager to help me learn and grow. When I look at how far we’ve come as a company, I’m incredibly proud of the way our leadership team has managed to keep the team grounded in our core values and mission, even as we experience such rapid growth.
Any accomplishments that you’re most proud of?
The nature of my job means I’m always working on various pieces of hardware, which is inherently hands-on. It’s exciting to see every project through each stage of development and testing. I’ve also had the chance to directly build important pieces of equipment, including one that I’m particularly proud of — a prototype system for evaluating the performance of our TPV modules using a very high-temperature heat source. This system is the largest demonstration of high-power density TPV output to date.
What advice do you have for someone looking to build a career in climate tech?
Go for it. There are so many different technologies and solutions that we need to tackle the climate crisis. And that means we need people of all kinds of backgrounds to help out. The other element I would add is to be confident and don’t be afraid to have goals that scare you. If you get a chance to work on a new project, try and make the most of the opportunity, even if it’s taking you out of your comfort zone or expertise. Especially for young women coming into the climate tech world, being in a room full of other highly qualified people can be intimidating, but leaning into that experience will build up your confidence in the long run.
What do you like to do outside of work?
I love being outdoors — skiing and backpacking are some of my favorite things to do whenever I can. Some of my favorite backpacking trips include an overnight trip in the Narrows of Zion National Park, and the Abel Tasman trek in the South Island of New Zealand.
What’s a fun fact about yourself?
I’m currently relearning Japanese — my mom is Japanese and I used to speak the language fluently as a child, but over the years, I’ve forgotten a bit as I stopped using it as frequently. Taking time to bring that back and relearn the language has been a fun way to connect with my family and ancestry.
Interested in working with people like Cece and joining Antora’s mission? Check out our current openings to join us as we work towards decarbonizing industry and stopping climate change.
