MIT develops solar storage "nirvana": energy crisis solved?

[edesignuk]

MIT is in a twisted, propeller-capped knot this morning heralding a new discovery it says will unleash a solar revolution. However, the "revolutionary leap" inspired by photosynthesis is not on the glamorous front-end of energy collection, rather, it's related to a simple, highly efficient and inexpensive way to store that energy when the sun doesn't shine. "This is the nirvana of what we've been talking about for years," says Daniel Nocera, MIT neomaxizoomdweebie who with Matthew Kanan developed the unprecedented approach to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases using the sun's energy. The gases can then be recombined later inside a fuel cell. The key components to the process are a pair of catalysts (one consists of cobalt metal, phosphate, and an electrode; the other, platinum) which produce the O and H gases at room temperature and in neutral pH water (i.e., tap water). While similar solutions exist for industrial use primarily, these are very expensive and require specialized environments.

"This is a major discovery with enormous implications for the future prosperity of humankind," said James Barber, a leader in the study of photosynthesis at Imperial College in London. "The importance of their discovery cannot be overstated since it opens up the door for developing new technologies for energy production thus reducing our dependence for fossil fuels and addressing the global climate change problem." Nocera concedes that further engineering is required to commercialize the approach but hopes to see it implemented in household fuel cell systems within the next 10 years. Click through for the video breakdown.

Engadget.

Interesting

 

[LizKat]

This will be so great, it's always been the main piece of the solar energy puzzle for people who live in Northern climates. Go MIT !!!

Nice timing, too. I wish I could have that tech this afternoon. Just got my invitation to call my propane supplier in case I will like to do a pre-pay contract for this winter's gas. I wonder what their minimum is this time around, last year it was $400 which this year probably doesn't make it worth their first delivery! I see a future involving the stacking of much more firewood on the deck this year...

 

[Queso]

Excellent stuff. Now let's hope a few of these "oh so green now" oil companies help the research and get it to market a bit sooner*





* yeah...


(p.s. buys shares in cobalt mining companies )

 

[Consultant]

Actually, part of the energy problem is the high energy requirement needed during the BUSINESS DAY, not night. All the infrastructure is build to accommodate the peak usage which only happens a few hours per day.

Example, summer day -> hot -> AC.

Night time the energy requirement is lower, but power plants cannot just shut everything down, thus there is actually excess energy available at night (at a cheap price if you are on the demand metering system).

For example, dams pump water back up at night, to use the water to generate more power in the day. There is even a skypscraper in NYC that freezes water at night (huge quantity of water with >Million dollar device) and use the ice in the day to cool the building.

If you have solar panels, it's better to sell your excess energy in the day, and to purchase the cheap energy at night.

NOT to say the invention is useless. Devices that can store energy would be in good demand if it's cost effective, but would be used to store excess energy produced at night to use during peak hours during the day.

 

[Abstract]

Excellent stuff. Now let's hope a few of these "oh so green now" oil companies help the research and get it to market a bit sooner*





* yeah...

As long as they don't buy this technology from them and make it.......disappear.

 

[Mr. lax]

As long as they don't buy this technology from them and make it.......disappear.

That's probably exactly what is going to happen

 

[iJohnHenry]

Were that to happen, then, at some stage in the proceedings, I would hope that the Government would nationalise the "winner".

That'll teach 'em.

 

[Scarlet Fever]

I reckon this kind of engineering has uses outside of the home; imagine you use solar energy to break the water into its gases, then pump the hydrogen into your hydrogen fuel cell car. You'd never have to pay for petrol again, you'll be producing no long-term pollution, and I believe fuel cells have the potential to be just as fast (if not faster) than petrol-driven cars.

I really hope we move from the oil age to the water age. It means that we would be able to use all the energy we wanted without doing any damage to the earth. It can only be a good thing.

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Hydrogen fuel cells = the future of energy. The question is, when?

 

[jbernie]

it's related to a simple, highly efficient and inexpensive way to store that energy when the sun doesn't shine.

Change the when to where and that could make for a very unusual discovery...

That being said, it would be interesting if something like this could be applied to vehicles. Sit in the sun all day, many only need occasional use, then get a few miles or more at the start of the drive home. Even better if it could be used on say trucks where some storage space for the equipment doesn't mean loss of all useful space and they can potentially make the top of the truck all solar panels.

 

[Scarlet Fever]

Hydrogen fuel cells = the future of energy. The question is, when?

Its more a question of when the market is going to start buying hydrogen systems for their homes. When that is firmly established, I think it shouldn't be too big a jump to put hydrogen systems into cars.