Houston-area FluxWorks is evolving magnetic gear technology, promising efficiency and reliability across industries. Led by CEO Dr. Bryton Praslicka, FluxWorks leverages over a decade of research to revolutionize gear technology, with applications spanning from renewable energy to space exploration. “NASA funded us to develop a gearbox for the next-generation Lunar Rover to go to the dark side of the moon,” said Dr. Bryton Praslicka, CEO of FluxWorks. “We needed to make a gearbox as lightweight and robust as possible while also withstanding extreme conditions—low temperatures, low atmosphere, and hard vacuum. That’s where my first patent came along.” The company’s magnetic gear designs bring 99% efficiency and are four times quieter than their conventional counterparts. Instead of mechanical teeth, the gears rely on magnetic forces to transfer power—eliminating the need for lubrication, reducing maintenance requirements, and dramatically improving reliability. Beyond his patent-pending design innovations, Praslicka emphasized how FluxWorks builds on existing electric motor manufacturing techniques and supply chains to enable rapid scalability. “Our unparalleled magnetic gear expertise means we can quickly get to market by retrofitting existing systems that already have electric motors, that already have gearboxes,” said Praslicka. “That’s one of the really exciting opportunities about our technology.” With this innovative business model in place, the company placed second at the Houston Energy Transition Initiative Energy Ventures Pitch Competition at CERAWeek, the world’s premiere energy conference, and took home the grand prize at the 2023 Rice Business Plan Competition hosted by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship and Jones Graduate School of Business. The FluxWorks team was also selected as the Water Power Technologies Office Bonus Prize Winner at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) EnergyTech UP competition. "FluxWorks gearboxes deliver breakthrough performance with minimal maintenance, making them ideal for extreme applications and remote locations where uptime is critical,” said Praslicka. The company aims to bring its lab-proven magnetic gears to real-world environments by field testing its technology in subsea wave energy conversion, onshore wind turbines, the International Space Station (ISS), and more. "Our innovative gearboxes have unprecedented reliability,” said Praslicka. “With a lifespan of up to 25 years, we can drastically minimize operational and maintenance costs for our customers. Our vision is to use magnetic gears to unlock a technology’s full potential.” Discover Houston's evolving industries.

Boasting a vast portfolio of energy companies, robust infrastructure, abundance of land and business-friendly incentives, Texas is a hub for solar energy, attracting investors, developers and companies to the state.   A new report revealed that solar generation outpaced coal-fired power plants last month in supplying electricity to the Texas power grid, contributing 3.26 million megawatt-hours (MWh). This notable achievement signifies the first time ever that solar energy has exceeded coal in power generation.  In 2023, Texas installed more than 6,500 megawatts of solar generation, leading the nation and surpassing California for the second year in a row, according to Houston Chronicle’s analysis of Wood Mackenzie’s annual Solar Market report.   A recent report by U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects Texas to continue to lead new utility-scale solar capacity this year, accounting for 35 percent of EIA’s expected 58 percent, or 62.8 gigawatts, of new solar capacity in 2024, signaling a record-breaking addition to the grid.   According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, in the fourth quarter of 2023, Texas had more than $27 billion in investment in solar energy. As a key player in the global energy transition, Houston has been at the forefront of the state’s solar surge, consistently winning bids for large-scale solar projects.  Click to expand The Partnership has played a vital role in securing notable solar energy project victories for the region, including the establishment of Elin Energy's 225,000-square-foot solar panel manufacturing facility in Waller County. With an annual manufacturing capacity of 2,000 megawatts, the facility is anticipated to start operations this year, according to the Katy Times.  Other successful projects include SEG Solar’s PV module manufacturing plant in northwest Harris County. The new facility has an anticipated annual capacity of more than two gigawatts with an anticipated opening date of this year.   “SEG is excited to establish a manufacturing base in Texas and is looking forward to serving the U.S. market with more domestic production,” said SEG’s VP and CLO Michael Eden in a press release. “This facility will help to sustain low carbon, eco centric energy independence in the U.S. for future generations.”  Lightsource, a subsidiary of Houston-based bp, also recently announced that it will develop and operate two new solar farms in Texas, after closing on a substantial $348 million financing package. The projects, located in Brazoria County and Starr County, will have a combined capacity of 288 megawatts, which is enough to power 50,000 homes. Both projects are slated to come online this year.   Click to expand Last year, global energy corporation and Partnership member TotalEnergies began operations at its new solar farm in south Houston. According to the company’s press release, the 380-megawatt farm dubbed Myrtle Solar, can produce enough green electricity to cover the energy consumption of 70,000 homes.  “This startup is another milestone in achieving our goal to build an integrated and profitable position in Texas, where ERCOT is the main electrical grid operator,” said Vincent Stoquart, Senior Vice President, Renewables at TotalEnergies.  Additionally, phase two of the Sunnyside Solar Farm is expected to be completed this year. The project will transform a 240-acre former landfill into a solar power farm, making it the largest urban solar farm in the nation built on a landfill, according to the City of Houston.  Learn more about Houston’s Energy Transition Initiative.