I am retired from management of the Materials Analysis Laboratories of the Gates Rubber Advanced Technology and Engineering Division and have been working on ways to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and our declining reserves. I have conceived of a process to convert wind and water to chemical energy in aqueous borohydride solution, which can then be stored for when the wind isn’t blowing, or water isn’t flowing, so no backup is needed. This solution can be pipelined or otherwise transported to homes, businesses and agriculture for many fuel cell applications, including domestic power, and as a transportation fuel for automobiles, trucks and mass transit.

I visualize a turbine (single or farm), borohydride recycle and storage, and pumping station for local and network distribution with borate return, providing hydrogen fuel, electricity and RO-purified water as utilities. This new technology would allow the power plant to be located anywhere there is wind and a water source. There would be no need for exposed, increasingly unreliable and costly transmission lines to link with conventional power plants. Both hydrogen and electric vehicles would be recharged inexpensively and without the pollution caused by burning coal somewhere else as is done now.

The current big picture of the Hydrogen Economy is concisely, completely and clearly spelled out at http://fuelcellstocks.com/hydrogeneconomy.htm. From paragraph six of the 2003-2005 assessment, I quote in part: “The Shell hydrogen station in Iceland offers the dream solution, using Norsk Hydro electrolysis technology to produce hydrogen from water. The whole operation is powered by electricity generated by renewable geothermal and hydro energy. This is the future. Keep your eye on tiny, little Iceland, a nation of just 285,000 people”.

Other more widely available natural energies, winds and tides, can also be used to produce hydrogen from water in a process to recycle inactive borate to active borohydride by ultrasound-powered hydrogenation that drives this energy-absorbing reaction rapidly to completion, making recycle commercially viable. Borax is the raw material for the recycle module, safe, available in southern states and inexpensive. To prevent a buildup of possibly undesirable minerals in the recycle process, purified makeup water may be used. For details on Ultrasonic Sonochemistry, Google will lead you to http://www.elsevier.com/wps/product/cws_home/525451, “Sonochemistry“ in Chemistry, Summer 2000,pp3, 17-22, and http://www.scs.uiuc.edu/suslick/britannica.html. See the Wikipedia page on Sonication. See the next two attached pages from Kinetics and Mechanism, 2nd Ed., 1961, LOC Cat. Card # 61-6773, Frost and Pearson, for the energy transfer mechanism of Einstein‘s experiments, transforming ultrasound energy into kinetic energy of molecules, rapidly.

Before undergoing bankruptcy, Millennium Cell concentrated on its borohydride fuel cartridges and its battery technology, far superior to the lithium batteries currently proposed for the Volt and others, but ignored. See “Road-Testing Cars of the Future“, US News, April 2009. A brief description of the company and its borohydride solution technology is quoted from their previous site.

“Millennium Cell (NASDAQ:MCEL) is engaged in the development of next generation energy sources for use primarily in consumer electronic, portable power and standby power application. The Company’s innovative and proprietary Hydrogen on Demand systems safely generate high-quality hydrogen from a water-based solution of sodium borohydride. This fuel is non-combustible, high in energy density, easily distributed, and convenient for refueling. Millennium Cell is developing technology in partnership with corporate and government entities. Based in Eatontown, New Jersey, Millennium Cell was founded in 1998 and currently employs nearly 40 people, primarily in technology development.”

MCEL stock was originally issued at $10.00 but is now worthless (except for it‘s patents and technology). This company lost out for two reasons: They didn’t develop an inexpensive, large-scale way to synthesize or recycle borohydride from borate for extensive continuous applications so their marketing was directed away from domestic and transportation technology and toward specialized batch applications.

I am retired from management of the Materials Analysis Laboratories of the Gates Rubber Advanced Technology and Engineering Division and have been working on ways to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and our declining reserves. I have conceived of a process to convert wind and water to chemical energy in aqueous borohydride solution, which can then be stored for when the wind isn’t blowing, or water isn’t flowing, so no backup is needed. This solution can be pipelined or otherwise transported to homes, businesses and agriculture for many fuel cell applications, including domestic power, and as a transportation fuel for automobiles, trucks and mass transit.

I visualize a turbine (single or farm), borohydride recycle and storage, and pumping station for local and network distribution with borate return, providing hydrogen fuel, electricity and RO-purified water as utilities. This new technology would allow the power plant to be located anywhere there is wind and a water source. There would be no need for exposed, increasingly unreliable and costly transmission lines to link with conventional power plants. Both hydrogen and electric vehicles would be recharged inexpensively and without the pollution caused by burning coal somewhere else as is done now.

The current big picture of the Hydrogen Economy is concisely, completely and clearly spelled out at http://fuelcellstocks.com/hydrogeneconomy.htm. From paragraph six of the 2003-2005 assessment, I quote in part: “The Shell hydrogen station in Iceland offers the dream solution, using Norsk Hydro electrolysis technology to produce hydrogen from water. The whole operation is powered by electricity generated by renewable geothermal and hydro energy. This is the future. Keep your eye on tiny, little Iceland, a nation of just 285,000 people”.

Other more widely available natural energies, winds and tides, can also be used to produce hydrogen from water in a process to recycle inactive borate to active borohydride by ultrasound-powered hydrogenation that drives this energy-absorbing reaction rapidly to completion, making recycle commercially viable. Borax is the raw material for the recycle module, safe, available in southern states and inexpensive. To prevent a buildup of possibly undesirable minerals in the recycle process, purified makeup water may be used. For details on Ultrasonic Sonochemistry, Google will lead you to http://www.elsevier.com/wps/product/cws_home/525451, “Sonochemistry“ in Chemistry, Summer 2000,pp3, 17-22, and http://www.scs.uiuc.edu/suslick/britannica.html. See the Wikipedia page on Sonication. See the next two attached pages from Kinetics and Mechanism, 2nd Ed., 1961, LOC Cat. Card # 61-6773, Frost and Pearson, for the energy transfer mechanism of Einstein‘s experiments, transforming ultrasound energy into kinetic energy of molecules, rapidly.

Before undergoing bankruptcy, Millennium Cell concentrated on its borohydride fuel cartridges and its battery technology, far superior to the lithium batteries currently proposed for the Volt and others, but ignored. See “Road-Testing Cars of the Future“, US News, April 2009. A brief description of the company and its borohydride solution technology is quoted from their previous site.

“Millennium Cell (NASDAQ:MCEL) is engaged in the development of next generation energy sources for use primarily in consumer electronic, portable power and standby power application. The Company’s innovative and proprietary Hydrogen on Demand systems safely generate high-quality hydrogen from a water-based solution of sodium borohydride. This fuel is non-combustible, high in energy density, easily distributed, and convenient for refueling. Millennium Cell is developing technology in partnership with corporate and government entities. Based in Eatontown, New Jersey, Millennium Cell was founded in 1998 and currently employs nearly 40 people, primarily in technology development.”

MCEL stock was originally issued at $10.00 but is now worthless (except for it‘s patents and technology). This company lost out for two reasons: They didn’t develop an inexpensive, large-scale way to synthesize or recycle borohydride from borate for extensive continuous applications so their marketing was directed away from domestic and transportation technology and toward specialized batch applications.

I’m not against those projects, per se. But I much prefer local, distributive solar because: a) it’s more democratic; b) it (often — yes I know there are huge SPPAs on rooftops) puts power in the hands of local businesses and individuals; c) localized solar power allows me, and potentially millions, to step into complete and total auto-fueling independence with the solar + EV equation.

I see it as good news — great news — that rooftop solar, however defined, is growing faster than the concentrated solar installations in fragile ecosystems located far away from where the power will be used. BTW, concentrated solar can be local — see http://chromasun.com/

Susan, thanks for focusing on this.

If anyone’s interested, I riff more on BIG vs. little solar at — http://tinyurl.com/yb7wwwn

I’m not against those projects, per se. But I much prefer local, distributive solar because: a) it’s more democratic; b) it (often — yes I know there are huge SPPAs on rooftops) puts power in the hands of local businesses and individuals; c) localized solar power allows me, and potentially millions, to step into complete and total auto-fueling independence with the solar + EV equation.

I see it as good news — great news — that rooftop solar, however defined, is growing faster than the concentrated solar installations in fragile ecosystems located far away from where the power will be used. BTW, concentrated solar can be local — see http://chromasun.com/

Susan, thanks for focusing on this.

If anyone’s interested, I riff more on BIG vs. little solar at — http://tinyurl.com/yb7wwwn

Utilities don’t put utility-scale solar on roofs. The one outlier example you can offer is only 2 MW.

Most applications for utility-scale solar, (just like for utility-scale gas plants or wind farms) are for about 250 MW.

Utilities don’t put utility-scale solar on roofs. The one outlier example you can offer is only 2 MW.

Most applications for utility-scale solar, (just like for utility-scale gas plants or wind farms) are for about 250 MW.

How do you figure most people accept “Rooftop” solar as shorthand for privately owned? Any survey you can point to? Or maybe you have asked around? I thought so. Please do not invent facts!

The title of your article is “Rooftop Solar Installations Growing Faster than Utility-Scale Solar.” You have no basis, given the sources you have used, to make any statement about rooftop vs utility-scale. Because rooftop can be utility-scale, and utility-owned installations can be rooftop. For example, General Motors/Opel’s unfortunate 12MW rooftop installation in Zaragoza, Spain (actually, several rooftops next to each other) is large enough and it is not owned or developed by a utility, but by a private investor (it is still underperforming by more than 25% vs expectations, of course, according to the remote-monitoring system). And, as already mentioned, the 2MW rooftop installation in Fontana, CA is owned by a utility, namely SCE (they actually intend to construct and own 250MW on commercial rooftops).

A title that states “Business-owned and Homeowner-owned Solar Installations Growing Faster than Utility-Scale Solar” has at least has some support in facts (up until the end of year 2008, that is).

How do you figure most people accept “Rooftop” solar as shorthand for privately owned? Any survey you can point to? Or maybe you have asked around? I thought so. Please do not invent facts!

The title of your article is “Rooftop Solar Installations Growing Faster than Utility-Scale Solar.” You have no basis, given the sources you have used, to make any statement about rooftop vs utility-scale. Because rooftop can be utility-scale, and utility-owned installations can be rooftop. For example, General Motors/Opel’s unfortunate 12MW rooftop installation in Zaragoza, Spain (actually, several rooftops next to each other) is large enough and it is not owned or developed by a utility, but by a private investor (it is still underperforming by more than 25% vs expectations, of course, according to the remote-monitoring system). And, as already mentioned, the 2MW rooftop installation in Fontana, CA is owned by a utility, namely SCE (they actually intend to construct and own 250MW on commercial rooftops).

A title that states “Business-owned and Homeowner-owned Solar Installations Growing Faster than Utility-Scale Solar” has at least has some support in facts (up until the end of year 2008, that is).

I think you are getting too hung up on whether this “business-owned and homeowner-owned” is literally “on a rooftop” or not.

Homeowners might put their “rooftop” solar in the yard, on the gazebo, on the garage and on the house roof. Businesses put theirs out in the fields (vineyards, dairies, agricultural businesses etc) or on the factory roof.

So you prefer the catchy headline “Business-owned and Homeowner-owned Solar Installations Growing Faster than Utility-Scale Solar.”

But I think most people accept “Rooftop” solar as shorthand for privately owned.

I think you are getting too hung up on whether this “business-owned and homeowner-owned” is literally “on a rooftop” or not.

Homeowners might put their “rooftop” solar in the yard, on the gazebo, on the garage and on the house roof. Businesses put theirs out in the fields (vineyards, dairies, agricultural businesses etc) or on the factory roof.

So you prefer the catchy headline “Business-owned and Homeowner-owned Solar Installations Growing Faster than Utility-Scale Solar.”

But I think most people accept “Rooftop” solar as shorthand for privately owned.

You are misusing the IREC report. The report never breaks down rooftop vs ground-mounted systems. Using “utility” systems as a proxy for ground-mounted and “residential” as a proxy for rooftop is just wrong. For example, SCE (an utility) put a 2MW rooftop PV instalation in Fontana, CA in 2008. And here is one residential installation that will be ground-mounted:

http://blog.gogreensolar.com/2009/12/battle-of-solar-panel-brands.html

“Non-residential” installations, of course, are a mixed bag as well (there are large ground-mounted installations, for example, and large rooftop installations).

So you have no basis, given the report you are using, to state that “Rooftop Solar Installations [are] Growing Faster than Utility-Scale Solar.”

You are misusing the IREC report. The report never breaks down rooftop vs ground-mounted systems. Using “utility” systems as a proxy for ground-mounted and “residential” as a proxy for rooftop is just wrong. For example, SCE (an utility) put a 2MW rooftop PV instalation in Fontana, CA in 2008. And here is one residential installation that will be ground-mounted:

http://blog.gogreensolar.com/2009/12/battle-of-solar-panel-brands.html

“Non-residential” installations, of course, are a mixed bag as well (there are large ground-mounted installations, for example, and large rooftop installations).

So you have no basis, given the report you are using, to state that “Rooftop Solar Installations [are] Growing Faster than Utility-Scale Solar.”