Hydrogen solutions for transportation
Affordable green hydrogen: a sustainable way of putting our most abundant resource to good use
Belgian researchers from the University of Leuven made headlines this week 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 in popularity.
The Belgians developed a special kind of solar panel that is able to suck moist 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.
Belgian researchers from the University of Leuven made headlines
Just to illustrate this point, twenty solar panels would be all that is needed to provide an average family with enough energy and heat to last them a whole year. The unique properties of hydrogen are praised all around, 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 that is capable of storing and producing both 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 has now been demonstrated by the team led by professor Martens.
As the major bottleneck for green hydrogen has always been its excessive price tag and difficulty of producing it, it has not really moved beyond the stage of being promising just yet. Before introducing this green way of producing it, oil and gas was a prerequisite - kind of defeating the purpose. This is why the Belgian’s accomplishment is so significant.
Toyota interested in using a prototype of this solar panel to produce hydrogen
The industry has been quick to recognise it, with car manufacturer Toyota interested in using a prototype of this solar panel 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 first prototypes to selected families and consumers for an extensive field-test of the capabilities and possibilities. In order to fully test this, their homes will be equipped with the panels and an underground tank, 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.
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.
By: Sharai Hoeksma
https://www.whatsorb.com/category/energy