GlassPoint Solar
Corporate brand
UnclaimedSolar steam technology company developing enclosed-trough systems for industrial process heat and thermal enhanced oil recovery.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
GlassPoint Solar is a United States-based solar-thermal technology company founded in 2009. It designs and manufactures enclosed solar steam generators that use concentrated sunlight to produce steam for industrial operations. Rather than primarily generating electricity, the company targets applications in which steam is consumed directly, including thermal enhanced oil recovery, mining, metals processing, and other industrial processes that are difficult to electrify or decarbonize. The company’s core architecture places lightweight, trough-shaped concentrating mirrors and associated piping inside a greenhouse-like enclosure. The enclosure protects the optical equipment from dust, wind, and other harsh environmental conditions while allowing automated cleaning and maintenance. Solar energy is concentrated onto pipes containing water, producing steam that can be supplied to an existing industrial process. GlassPoint has positioned the design as a way to reduce operating and maintenance challenges associated with open-air concentrated solar installations, particularly in desert oil-producing regions where dust and sand can impair performance. GlassPoint’s first commercial solar enhanced-oil-recovery deployment was installed in 2011 for Berry Petroleum in Kern County, California. The small demonstration system preheated feedwater for gas-fired steam generators and established a commercial reference for the company’s approach. In 2013, the company commissioned a larger project for Petroleum Development Oman at the Amal West oilfield. That installation produced approximately 50 tons of solar steam per day and demonstrated the use of solar heat in an operating thermal enhanced-oil-recovery system. The Oman project led to the development of Miraah, a much larger solar steam facility at Amal West. Announced in 2015, Miraah was designed with a peak thermal capacity of approximately 1 gigawatt-thermal and became one of the most significant solar process-heat projects ever associated with the oil industry. The first block was completed and began delivering steam in 2017. Reference material states that approximately 330 megawatts-thermal of the project were operating and meeting performance targets. GlassPoint raised venture and strategic capital during its early expansion. A Series B round announced in 2012 included Royal Dutch Shell, RockPort Capital, Nth Power, and Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital. A Series C round announced in 2014 included Shell, Oman’s State General Reserve Fund, RockPort Capital, Nth Power, and Chrysalix. The company later pursued additional projects in California and Oman, although proposed projects with Aera Energy and Occidental Petroleum of Oman were not completed because of financing difficulties. In May 2020, GlassPoint announced that it was to be liquidated, attributing the decision to low and unpredictable oil and gas prices. In June 2022, the business re-emerged under founding chief executive Rod MacGregor. It adopted a build-own-operate approach and introduced a steam-as-a-service model intended to reduce customers’ upfront capital exposure. At the same time, GlassPoint broadened its target markets beyond oil production to include mining, metals, manufacturing, and other hard-to-abate industries. Its 2022 memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabian Mining Company concerned a proposed 1,500-megawatt-thermal solar process-steam facility at Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia. The proposed project was described as capable of reducing Ma’aden’s emissions by more than 600,000 tons annually if completed.
History
GlassPoint Solar was founded in 2009 to commercialize solar thermal technology for industrial steam production. Its principal innovation was an enclosed-trough system: concentrating mirrors and steam-generating pipes are installed within a greenhouse-like structure rather than exposed directly to the environment. The enclosure was intended to limit the effects of wind and airborne dust and to enable automated washing and maintenance. GlassPoint marketed the approach as a lower-cost alternative to other concentrated-solar architectures for producing process steam. The company’s first commercial solar enhanced-oil-recovery installation was deployed in 2011 at a Berry Petroleum oilfield in Kern County, California. The approximately 7,000-square-foot system used solar heat to preheat water to about 190 degrees Fahrenheit before the water entered existing gas-fired steam generators. The installation was built in less than six weeks and produced approximately 1 million British thermal units of solar heat per hour. GlassPoint worked with local engineering, construction, and design firms on the project. In May 2013, GlassPoint commissioned a 7-megawatt solar enhanced-oil-recovery system for Petroleum Development Oman at the Amal West oilfield. It was described as the first solar EOR project in the Middle East. The plant generated an average of approximately 50 tons of emissions-free steam per day for injection into the existing thermal EOR operation. Project information reported high availability, performance close to modeled output during its first year, and continued operation during severe dust and sand events. Automated roof washing helped restore output after adverse weather. The project gave PDO operating experience that informed consideration of much larger solar steam capacity. In July 2015, GlassPoint and PDO announced Miraah, a planned 1-gigawatt-thermal solar field at Amal West. The project was designed to supply solar-generated steam for oil production and was promoted as the world’s largest solar field by peak thermal capacity at the time of announcement. In August 2017, the project team reported more than 1.5 million work hours without a lost-time injury. In November 2017, construction of the first Miraah block was completed on schedule and within budget, and the block began supplying steam to the Amal West field. Reference material reports that the first 330 megawatts-thermal were subsequently operating and meeting performance targets. GlassPoint also explored expansion into other oil-producing regions. In November 2017, Aera Energy and GlassPoint announced a proposed project described as California’s largest solar energy field. In November 2018, GlassPoint and Occidental Petroleum of Oman announced cooperation on a solar thermal project for oil production. Neither proposal was completed, with financing problems identified as the reason. The company raised substantial private financing while developing its technology and projects. Its December 2012 Series B financing totaled $26 million and included Shell, RockPort Capital, Nth Power, and Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital. A September 2014 Series C financing totaled $53 million and included Shell, Oman’s State General Reserve Fund, RockPort Capital, Nth Power, and Chrysalix. The company remained privately held. In May 2020, GlassPoint said it was being liquidated because oil and gas prices were low and unpredictable. The shutdown reflected the commercial and financing pressures facing a business whose early projects were closely linked to the oil industry. In June 2022, the company re-emerged under founding chief executive Rod MacGregor. Its revised model was based on building, owning, and operating solar steam facilities and selling the resulting heat as a service, thereby seeking to reduce customers’ upfront investment and project-development risk. The relaunch also broadened GlassPoint’s addressable market. Instead of focusing only on thermal EOR, the company described applications in mining, metals, manufacturing, and other hard-to-abate sectors that require large quantities of industrial steam. In the same month, GlassPoint announced an MOU with Saudi Arabian Mining Company for a proposed solar process-steam plant at Ras Al Khair. The proposed Ma’aden facility was specified at 1,500 megawatts-thermal and was projected to reduce Ma’aden’s annual carbon emissions by more than 600,000 tons if built. The available reference material does not establish that the proposed plant reached final investment decision or commercial operation.
- 2022
Business relaunched
[1]GlassPoint re-emerged under Rod MacGregor with a build-own-operate and steam-as-a-service strategy.
- 2022
Ma’aden solar steam MOU
[1]GlassPoint and Ma’aden signed an MOU for a proposed 1,500-megawatt-thermal solar process-steam facility at Ras Al Khair.
- 2020
Liquidation announced
[1]GlassPoint announced liquidation amid low and unpredictable oil and gas prices.
- 2017
First Miraah block completed
[1]The first block of Miraah was completed and began delivering solar steam to the Amal West oilfield.
- 2015
Miraah announced
[1]GlassPoint and Petroleum Development Oman announced the planned Miraah solar field, designed for approximately 1 gigawatt-thermal of peak capacity.
- 2014
Series C financing
[1]GlassPoint announced a $53 million Series C financing round backed by Shell, Oman’s State General Reserve Fund, and venture investors.
- 2013
Amal West solar EOR system commissioned
[1]GlassPoint commissioned a 7-megawatt solar steam system for Petroleum Development Oman at Amal West.
- 2012
Series B financing
[1]The company announced a $26 million Series B financing round involving Shell and specialist clean-energy investors.
- 2011
First commercial solar EOR installation
[1]GlassPoint deployed a commercial solar enhanced-oil-recovery system for Berry Petroleum in Kern County, California.
- 2009
Company founded
[1]GlassPoint Solar was founded as a developer of enclosed-trough solar steam technology for industrial applications.
Products and positioning
GlassPoint positions its technology as protected, industrial-scale solar process heat for customers seeking lower-emission steam without relying exclusively on fossil-fuel boilers. Its enclosed-trough systems are particularly aimed at dusty, high-temperature environments and at industries where steam is a major energy input. Following its 2022 relaunch, the company emphasized long-term ownership and operation of solar steam assets rather than only selling equipment.
Solar thermal industrial equipment
Enclosed-trough solar steam generator
GlassPoint’s core product encloses lightweight parabolic-trough mirrors and steam-generating piping inside a greenhouse-like structure. The mirrors concentrate sunlight onto the pipes, heating water and producing steam for direct industrial use. The enclosure is intended to reduce exposure to wind and dust and supports automated roof washing, making the system suitable for desert and oilfield environments.
Oilfield process heat · 2011
Solar enhanced-oil-recovery steam system
These systems supply solar-generated steam to thermal enhanced-oil-recovery operations. GlassPoint’s installations were designed to integrate with existing field equipment, either by producing steam directly or by preheating feedwater for conventional gas-fired generators. The Berry Petroleum and Petroleum Development Oman projects provided commercial demonstrations of this application.
Industrial energy service · 2022
Steam-as-a-service
Introduced as part of the company’s 2022 relaunch, steam-as-a-service is a commercial model in which GlassPoint seeks to build, own, and operate solar steam assets for industrial customers. The model is intended to reduce customers’ upfront capital requirements and transfer more project-development and operating responsibility to GlassPoint.
Marketing campaigns
- 2022Industrial decarbonization relaunch
Global · Saudi Arabia · Oman · United States
Following its re-emergence, GlassPoint repositioned solar steam for mining, metals, manufacturing, and other hard-to-abate industries, presenting steam-as-a-service as a way to lower customers’ initial financial exposure.
Outcome. The strategy was accompanied by an MOU with Ma’aden for a proposed large solar process-steam plant.
- 2016Miraah safety and delivery program
Oman
GlassPoint and its project partners promoted Miraah as a large-scale solar steam project delivered with strong health, safety, and environmental performance. The project team reported crossing 1.5 million work hours without a lost-time injury in 2017.
Outcome. The first Miraah block was completed and began supplying steam in 2017.
Brand decisions
2022
Adopt build-own-operate and steam-as-a-service modelStrategyBackground
The company sought to reduce the upfront risk faced by industrial customers and broaden its market beyond oilfield applications.
Action taken
GlassPoint relaunched under Rod MacGregor and said it would build, own, and operate solar steam facilities while selling heat as a service.
Aftermath
The company expanded its stated target sectors to mining, metals, manufacturing, and other hard-to-abate industries and announced the Ma’aden MOU.
2022
Pursue Ma’aden solar process-steam projectStrategyBackground
Ma’aden operates energy-intensive mining and metals activities for which industrial steam is a significant process requirement.
Action taken
GlassPoint and Ma’aden signed an MOU for a proposed 1,500-megawatt-thermal solar process-steam facility at Ras Al Khair.
Aftermath
The proposal was projected to reduce Ma’aden’s emissions by more than 600,000 tons annually, but the available reference material does not confirm final investment approval or completion.
2020
LiquidationOtherBackground
GlassPoint cited low and unpredictable oil and gas prices as a reason for the company’s financial difficulties.
Action taken
The company announced that it would be liquidated.
Aftermath
GlassPoint later re-emerged under its founding chief executive with a revised commercial model.
2015
Scale the Oman solar steam model through MiraahStrategyBackground
The successful Amal West demonstration gave Petroleum Development Oman operating data for evaluating a much larger solar steam field.
Action taken
GlassPoint and PDO announced Miraah, a planned solar field with approximately 1 gigawatt-thermal of peak capacity.
Aftermath
The first block was completed in 2017 and began delivering steam to the Amal West oilfield.
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