Scientists in Kuluven, Belgium have developed a panel device that combines solar energy and water vapor to produce an average of 250 liters (66 gallons) of hydrogen per day throughout the year, a record number. According to the researchers' estimates, an array of 20 such panels and an underground pressurized water tank can provide all the electricity and heating needs of a home at an affordable price.
There are two significant disadvantages of solar power generation. First, an energy buffer must be prepared for storing solar energy on rainy days. A household battery pack can cost thousands of dollars, and the stored power can only last up to a few days. Second, lithium-ion batteries lose capacity during use, and slowly discharge themselves during use.
To this end, Professor Johan Martens of Belgium and his team have turned to hydrogen to find a cheaper, green energy alternative that is available throughout the year. Their equipment has been developed for ten years and can currently achieve 15% energy conversion efficiency.
Commercial solar panels can easily exceed this number, usually reaching 18% or 20%, but the advantage of this method is that a large amount of hydrogen can be stored in an underground pressurized tank (pressure is about 400 bar), without causing undesirable Avoid losses. Using fuel cells, the storage tanks can be used freely in heating, electricity or fuel for hydrogen-powered vehicles, with a conversion efficiency of 90%.
Hydrogen is usually produced from non-green energy sources such as natural gas and oil, and the production and storage costs are high. Due to the high conversion efficiency and the use of small systems designed for local scale, this project aims to reverse this trend. The researchers used cheap raw materials and did not need precious metals or other expensive components.
The researchers estimate that an array of 20 panels and 4 cubic meters of pressurized storage device can meet the energy and heating needs of a family throughout the year, provided that hydrogen starts to be stored in the summer.
The prototype of this device will soon begin field testing on a property in a rural town in Ud-Heverly, Belgium. Over the next two years, the researchers will focus on testing panels for home, agricultural, and retail applications, with the ultimate goal of mass-producing and commercializing the system.
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