MIT Energy Storage Discovery Could Lead to ‘Unlimited’ Solar Power
Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered a new way of storing energy from sunlight that could lead to ‘unlimited’ solar power.
The process, loosely based on plant photosynthesis, uses solar energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. When needed, the gases can then be re-combined in a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity whether the sun is shining or not.
According to project leader Prof. Daniel Nocera, “This is the nirvana of what we’ve been talking about for years. Solar power has always been a limited, far-off solution. Now, we can seriously think about solar power as unlimited and soon.”
Nocera has also explained that the process (video) uses natural materials, is inexpensive to conduct and is easy to set up. “That’s why I know this is going to work. It’s so easy to implement,” he said.
Other prominent scientists in the field have rushed to highlight the revolutionary potential of the new process. According to James Barber, biochemistry professor at Imperial College London, this research is a ‘giant leap’ towards generating clean, carbon-free energy on as massive scale. In a statement, he also said:
“This is a major discovery with enormous implications for the future prosperity of humankind. 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.”
No news has yet been released of a predicted timescale to commericial development or mainstream adoption. However, Nocera has said that he’s hopeful that within 10 years homes will no longer be powered using electricity-by-wire from a central source. Instead, homeowners will be able to harness solar power during daylight hours and use this new energy storage method for electricity at night.
Image Credit - markus941 via flickr.com on a Creative Commons license. See the Visual Photo Guide.
I need to do some more research, but this sounds like it’s a practical prototype for a regenerative fuel cell. NASA has been working for years to produce one, but to my knowledge, hasn’t been able to do so in an efficient manner. The seperation of the atoms has required more power than the output from the fuel cell.
Also, if the fuel cell is not using platinum, then this is truly a breakthrough of immense proportion. Platinum is very expensive.
So, what we would have - if the information is correct - is a cheaply produced fuel cell that uses solar power on water to make electricity and then restore the fuel back into water again for later reuse. The cycle could potentially go on forever.
That’s exciting.
Same old story,”ten years or so”!!!!
I don’t buy it. Why is solar the prefered energy source? If they’ve actually created a cost-effective and viable processes, why not use wind farms and store the hydorgen in the towers. Then send it to hydrogen refueling stations via pipelines. Or, better yet, use it as a back-up for when the wind is not blowing to feed the grid. The grid is the world’s largest battery and we should use it. Putting a low eff. solar power panel on every roof is stupid..they waste a tremendous amount of water in the mfg. process, they are expensive, and they not effiecent at producing elec…they are 50 years - minimum - from being ready for prime time.
What’s new about this? People have been talking about using electrolysis to make hydrogen for fuell cells for year. Doesn’t take an MIT degree to figure it out.
I meant to say “to power hydrogen fuel cells”
this is awesome. i hope we as a nation do eventually become energy exporters.
Don’t worry about explosive hydrogen in Joe’s basement- he probably already has enough gasoline and natural gas to create a much larger explosion.
The great thing about humans is that their prediliction to blow things up (especially other people) is generally very, very, very small. The odds you, or anyone in your family, will get blown up are much lower than that you’ll die in a car crash or drowning.
I think it’s funny how many of the commenters are stubbornly clinging to the conviction that there’s nothing we can do about the rulership of the old systems instead of allowing themselves at least a bit of HOPE that things could change, after all.
I wholeheartedly embrace any idea that will bring us cheaper energy and I’m 100% positive that there will be lots of new inventions soon (if it is this or something else I don’t care) and that nobody can stop this movement, just because the time’s ripe for it.
Free or cheap energy is what we wish for for many years and this wish will come true, and I could bet that it will not be a highly complicated or expensive thing, but something so simple, just requiring new thinking or a new perspective, that anybody afterwards will say “Why didn’t we think about that before???”.
The clue will be the new thinking, not new materials.
imagine that it works and its cheap to install…the real problem is: how will they tax you !! sun tax? non poluting tax? that’s why it will not come true. :)))
Very secretive, maybe good reason, but who knows, they are excited, but we cannot be yet.