nuclear-news

A new development in efficient large-scale storage of solar power

Better Solar Through Chemistry, Renewable Energy News, 20 Jan 14 A new method of harvesting fuel from water developed by scientists from University of North Carolina could answer the question of how to effectively store solar power for use  long after the sun goes down.   An entire industry has grown around storing the power generated by solar energy systems, from banks of lithium-ion batteries to molten-salt technology, but UNC researchers believe chemistry will provide the key to large-scale solar power storage.

“So called ‘solar fuels’ like hydrogen offer a solution to how to store energy for night time use by taking a cue from natural photosynthesis” says Tom Meyer, Arey Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences. “Our new findings may provide a last major piece of a puzzle for a new way to store the sun’s energy – it could be a tipping point for a solar energy future.”

Meyer’s team used a dye-sensitized photoelectrosynthesis cell, or DSPEC (an organic solar cell which mimics the process of photosynthesis in plants), to produce hydrogen fuel by separating water molecules into atoms. While hydrogen atoms are retained and stored for energy, oxygen is released into the  atmosphere. Because the entire process is solar powered, it is also extremely efficient….. http://www.energymatters.com.au/index.php?main_page=news_article&article_id=4130

January 20, 2014 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized