Avi Brenmiller, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Brenmiller Energy Ltd. (Nasdaq: BNRG), has been named the recipient of the prestigious Merage DeserTech Industry Leader Award as part of the 2026 Merage DeserTech Fellows program. The accolade recognizes Brenmiller’s exceptional leadership in advancing climate innovation and championing the commercialization of transformative thermal energy storage (TES) solutions.
The award acknowledges Brenmiller’s long-standing impact on the clean-energy sector and his role in establishing pioneering technologies that are reshaping industrial decarbonization. Under his guidance, Brenmiller Energy has achieved key milestones, including the creation of the world’s first dedicated TES gigafactory and becoming the first TES company publicly listed on the Nasdaq exchange.
A central part of Brenmiller’s legacy cited by the award committee is his track record of transforming visionary technologies into commercial realities with tangible industrial impact. His career includes leading Solel Solar Systems Ltd. to global prominence, culminating in its acquisition by Siemens for more than $400 million, one of the largest exits in Israel’s solar industry at the time.
The Merage DeserTech Fellows program celebrates innovators whose leadership bridges advanced technology, business execution, and community impact. Brenmiller’s recognition underscores his commitment to scalable climate solutions that support reliable, fossil-free industrial heat — a critical challenge in global decarbonization efforts.
bGen™ ZERO: A Flagship in Industrial Decarbonization
At the heart of Brenmiller Energy’s commercial success is its bGen™ ZERO thermal energy storage system. The technology captures low-cost electricity from renewables or the grid and stores it as heat in crushed rock. It delivers steam, hot water, or hot air on demand to industrial facilities, offering a zero-emission alternative to fossil fuel–based heat generation.
bGen™ ZERO has garnered multiple industry honors, including being named among TIME’s Best Inventions of 2023 in the Green Energy category and earning Gold in the Energy Storage and Management division at the 2025 Edison Awards.
Positioning for Global Industrial Decarbonization
Brenmiller Energy’s solutions target energy-intensive sectors seeking to cut carbon emissions and transition to sustainable energy infrastructure. The company’s modular and scalable TES systems help industrial and utility customers reduce dependence on fossil fuel boilers while enhancing energy efficiency and operational flexibility.
“This recognition underscores the critical role of thermal energy storage in achieving net-zero goals across industries,” said Brenmiller. “Our focus remains on delivering reliable, economic, and scalable clean-energy solutions that support global decarbonization.”
The Merage Industry Leader Award adds to a growing list of honors for Brenmiller and his team, reaffirming the company’s leadership in the rapidly expanding clean-energy technology landscape.
