Hydrogen is cheaply produced! Belgian researchers from the University of Leuven made headlines when they announced that they finally managed to find a way of cheaply producing hydrogen - quite the feat, especially now that hydrogen-solutions for transportation and energy generation are gaining popularity. Affordable green hydrogen: a sustainable way of putting our most abundant resource to good use.
Hydrogen Solutions For Transportation
Breaking News! Hydrogen Cheaply Produced By Solar In Belgium
Sustainable production of hydrogen gas
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The Belgians developed a special kind of solar panel that can suck moisture out of the air and turn it into hydrogen. One panel offers a return of some 250 liters of hydrogen per day: a new record that is sure to lead to a surge of hydrogen-powered innovations - after all, the fuel required for this is now available at a very affordable price.
Hydrogen, when do we need it?
When hydrogen is combined with oxygen in a fuel cell, energy in the form of electricity is produced. This electricity can be used to power vehicles, as a heat source and for many other uses. The advantage of using hydrogen as an energy carrier is that when it combines with oxygen the only byproducts are water and heat.
Hydrogen produced with solar! Belgian researchers from the University of Leuven made headlines
Twenty solar panels would be all needed to provide an average family with enough energy and heat to last them a whole year to illustrate this point. The unique properties of hydrogen are praised worldwide, not only because it is the most abundant resource available to us, making up much of the world around us; it is also a carrier of energy capable of storing and producing electricity and heat. In doing so, it does not release any greenhouse gasses or other toxic substances. Provided that hydrogen is produced using clean energy - which the team led by professor Martens has now demonstrated.
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Green hydrogen was always a major bottleneck because of its excessive price tag and difficulty in production. It has not really moved beyond the stage of being promising just yet. Before introducing this green way of producing it, oil and gas were prerequisites to defeating the purpose. This is why the Belgian’s accomplishment is so significant.
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Toyota Interested In Using A Prototype Of This Solar Panel To Produce Hydrogen
The industry has been quick to recognize it, with car manufacturer Toyota interested in using a solar panel prototype to produce hydrogen. Just a dozen of those panels could provide enough energy to power a hydrogen-fuelled car for a year or so without the need for any additional fuels and resources.
The team is now rolling out its prototypes to selected families and consumers for an extensive field-test of the capabilities and possibilities. Their homes will be equipped with panels and an underground tank to fully test this, measuring about 4 cubic meters. This will allow excess hydrogen produced in the summer to be stored and kept for the winter months, where production is likely to decrease significantly.
Hydrogen: 3 interesting facts
It is a nontoxic, odorless, colorless gas that naturally exists in our Universe. Being the first element on the periodic table, Hydrogen is the lightest of all chemical elements. Interesting Hydrogen Facts: Majority of the Universe's mass (75%) is comprised of Hydrogen.
Provided that these tests will be passed, the next steps are a larger roll-out of the product, making it available in the market as an affordable, easy solution. Prices for the panels are not yet available, but here’s to hoping that it will truly be another point on which it sets itself apart from the competition.
Before you go!
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