A U.S. scientist has developed a new way of powering fuel cells that could make it practical for home owners to store solar energy and produce electricity to run lights and appliances at night.

A new catalyst produces the oxygen and hydrogen that fuel cells use to generate electricity, while using far less energy than current methods. With this catalyst, users could rely on electricity produced by photovoltaic solar cells to power the process that produces the fuel, said the Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor who developed the new material…

Most U.S. homes with solar panels feed electricity into the power grid during the day, but have to draw back from the grid at night. Nocera said his development would allow homeowners to bank solar energy as hydrogen and oxygen, which a fuel cell could use to produce electricity when the sun was not shining…

Nocera’s catalyst is made from cobalt, phosphate and an electrode that produces oxygen from water by using 90 percent less electricity than current methods, which use the costly metal platinum…

It’s cheap, it’s efficient, it’s highly manufacturable, it’s incredibly tolerant of impurity and it’s from earth-abundant stuff,” Nocera explained.

He’s not at the pilot project stage, yet. Fortunately, VC funding for projects like this is becoming readily available.




  1. dwelter says:

    Maybe Exxon could spend .01 per cent of the 11.5 billion it just netted last quarter and get this up and running.

  2. QB says:

    PYSCH! I was just reading this article over at Wired.

  3. moss says:

    “Self-cleaning”? Dude, put ’em on a rack on the ground like the photo and use your squeegee!

  4. it's just an expression says:

    Funny, Dvorak was just talking about how hydrogen is not the future for cars on the podcast, talking about how the molecule is so small it goes through steel, and the technology uses a “wick” of steel to deliver the product. Much different technology than gasoline, and too many problems with it. Also, it takes more fossil fuel (fossil?) to make hydrogen than it does to just burn the fuel. Hmm. Solar is also not the future except for growing crops. Panels get stolen and they break down after a while. The costs for repair of all this solar crap are high. They end up in the trash. All this solar, wind, hydrogen is crap, except in illusions and bank accounts of those who harvest the tax credits.

  5. JimR says:

    “And whether or not the setup will prove cost-effective remains to be seen. It still uses a platinum catalyst to produce hydrogen, for example.”

    Not quite there yet, but hopeful.

  6. Mr. Fusion says:

    #4, Just an idiot,

    All this solar, wind, hydrogen is crap, except in illusions and bank accounts of those who harvest the tax credits.

    Your arguments are just wrong. If you wish to continue on with your head up your butt (looking for your brain I suspect) then go for it.

    Better still, why not read the effen article before commenting on it. It might dispel some of your ignorance.

  7. Thomas says:

    It is already possible to “bank” energy using solar: batteries. The catch is that you have to decide how big you want your bank and the space to store them. In one of the books I have on setting up your house with solar, the guy said that he used his electric car as a secondary.

  8. Little Johnnie says:

    I’m still not sure why flywheels aren’t more popular for stationary energy storage (such as in houses) – anyone have any pointers to reasons why they’re not more popular? There are various uninterruptible power supply products that use them already (eg. for data centres), but it’s not clear to me why that technology isn’t more popular for domestic usage.

  9. JimR says:

    #9.. it’s because the flies tire too easily.

  10. Paddy-O says:

    “Nocera’s catalyst is made from cobalt, phosphate and an electrode that produces oxygen from water by using 90 percent less electricity than current methods, which use the costly metal platinum.”

    Now this could make it almost worthwhile to take your house off the grid.

  11. Paddy-O says:

    #9 – Overall, solar isn’t popular for generating electricity for homes because the cost per kw/hour
    is higher than you pay the utility companies… To create enough to run 24/7 means even more panels and the electricity you create to use at night has to be converted twice, further reducing the cost effectiveness…

  12. Dallas says:

    Fantastic advances and now even have politicians wrap themselves around “energy independence”. Umm, WTF have you been doing since 9-11?

    Getting letters Texas Republican, Pete Sessions on he supports energy independence. Gee, thanks. He listed every known energy generating source known to man and supports them all.

    What a guy! That’s why I’ll vote Republican.

  13. Paddy-O says:

    #13 “He listed every known energy generating source known to man and supports them all.”

    And the dems only support the most costly & least viable. I say nuke everyone on the Hill and start over…

  14. Mr. Fusion says:

    #13, Dallas,

    Did he mention Fly Wheels and did he have any suggestion for the flies getting tired?

  15. Buzz says:

    #9
    “I’m still not sure why flywheels aren’t more popular for stationary energy storage (such as in houses) – anyone have any pointers to reasons why they’re not more popular?”

    I’m no expert, but my guess is bearings. With flywheels, there are two options to maintain overnight usability – heavy and slow, or lightweight and fast. A lead wheel a foot thick and 12 feet in diameter running at about a few rpm won’t keep you AC running overnight, nor will a wirebrush about the same size running at 20,000 RPM. Both would be a maintenance nightmare, and so would replacing the bearings almost daily, imo

  16. deowll says:

    I hope this project is a huge success. We need a cheap way to do this.

  17. Jetfire says:

    I’ll believe it when I see it. Until then I agree with #4. This stuff needs to be as cheap or cheaper to use the current sources. Also needs to be as easy to use. Until then it’s just hyperhole crap.

  18. elitistsnob says:

    “and they break down after a while.”
    aways wondered how long before repair or replacement. Been watching thei tech since the 70s I am not enough of an engn. to understand why it has not evolved.

  19. smartalix says:

    9, 16,

    Flywheels can’t store enough energy to be more than a short-term bridge to a generator. Their primary benefits involve their lack of chemicals, so they can take the place of batteries where acid and such is frowned upon, and in power conditioning, where their ride-thorugh ability stabilizes a poor facilty power supply.

    For example, the primary UPS flywheel product from Pentadyne runs in a vacuum chamber with magnetic bearings, and can deliver 190 kW for 10 sec.

    There’s a novel UPS from Active Power that uses a flywheel for ride-through, but uses hot compressed air for the primary power storage to extend the power-on time to 15 minutes.

  20. UnaKRon says:

    …so…hydrogen generators for combustion cars that don’t destroy themselves as fast? 🙂

    YAY!

  21. Tony Russ says:

    Letter to MA Governor Deval Patrick:

    Hello again! Just wanted to let you know that Novotech of Acton, Massachusetts has won a US Patent for a revolutionary solar thermal power system breakthrough. We know your Administration is always looking for Massachusetts companies who are making headway and Novotech is Exceptional!

    S.u.c.c.e.s.s.!
    As you might have heard from our working colleagues at MIT this Solar Thermal Road Power System uses existing roads and parking lot asphalt to gather radiant heat and transfer it to power transformers that directly create electric power! We call it …
    S.u.c.c.e.s.s. = Solar Unlimited Collecting Efficiency Supply System!

    And the unique property of Efficiency is that it actually cools as it works!
    We believe it is the answer to global warming – right here from a Massachusetts Company!!!

    We are developing a working model of this patented process in Charlestown, MA and Holyoke, MA to be online generating very shortly. Novotech’s President & CEO Mike Huien is the US Patent holder and is projecting a $120 Million industry in the first two years of development adding more than 17,000 jobs! ROI is less than one-year!!

    Here is a link to a 20-second slideshow. http://novotech.net/NovotechSlideshow.html

    If you have any questions please let me know.
    This really will be a jewel in your answers to our energy needs in Massachusetts and worldwide!

    Sincerely,
    Tony

  22. ArianeB says:

    Don’t know how many will see this.

    Turns out this article is full of crap!

    http://www.theoildrum.com/node/4378#more


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