MIT researcher proposes inexpensive solar energy storage system
Solar Feeds, Nov 06, 2009
The current technology might have enabled us to install a solar plant right on our rooftops, but all that energy is of no use if there isn’t enough storage medium available. Currently most PV plants use batteries as a storage medium, which not only is an expensive way but the low-energy density of batteries makes them impractical for normal use.
Eco Factor: Storing solar energy in the form of hydrogen for fuel cells.
Daniel Nocera, a researcher at MIT, is working on the development of a practical, inexpensive storage system that can also offer better energy density than conventionally used batteries. The researcher has proposed a system that mimics photosynthesis in plants and uses solar energy to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen. While the oxygen generated during the process is released into the atmosphere, hydrogen is used to power fuel cells.
While the energy density of batteries is about 0.5MJ/kg, the energy density of liquid fuels is about 50MJ/kg. Nocera’s approach of using the solar energy to produce fuel for a fuel cell could be the key to offering affordable personalized solar energy in the not-too-distant future.
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That looks like storage as liquid hydrogen gets 100 times more energy into each kg than a battery could manage.
The current technology might have enabled us to install a solar plant right on our rooftops, but all that energy is of no use if there isn’t enough storage medium available. Currently most PV plants use batteries as a storage medium, which not only is an expensive way but the low-energy density of batteries makes them impractical for normal use.
Eco Factor: Storing solar energy in the form of hydrogen for fuel cells.
Daniel Nocera, a researcher at MIT, is working on the development of a practical, inexpensive storage system that can also offer better energy density than conventionally used batteries. The researcher has proposed a system that mimics photosynthesis in plants and uses solar energy to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen. While the oxygen generated during the process is released into the atmosphere, hydrogen is used to power fuel cells.
While the energy density of batteries is about 0.5MJ/kg, the energy density of liquid fuels is about 50MJ/kg. Nocera’s approach of using the solar energy to produce fuel for a fuel cell could be the key to offering affordable personalized solar energy in the not-too-distant future.
--------------------------------------------------END OF ARTICLE ----------------------------------------------
That looks like storage as liquid hydrogen gets 100 times more energy into each kg than a battery could manage.
Tags: batteries, daniel_nocera, density, mit, solar, storage
Add a Comment
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Comment by Kevin Espeseth on November 15, 2009 at 11:52am -
We have a storage medium. It is called the grid. Most of the energy on it is used during the day by manufactures and business (and cars) when homes are sitting empty and unproductive.
With FREE trade for CLEAN energy, these businesses would be able to purchase that energy from the homes -at a cheaper price than the fossil fuels, stabilizing THAT price- and local generation would only be needed to supplement the low points / peak off time use.
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