A team of German
scientists have developed a device to convert Solar Energy into Hydrogen gas ( a cheap / abundant / clean fuel ),
through electrolysis
of water
Following are the details :
" This is one of the big advantages of the new design,
which enables the two main components to be optimized separately: the photovoltaic part that
produces electricity from solar energy and the electrochemical part that uses this electricity
for water splitting.
The Jülich researchers have
patented this concept, which can be flexibly applied for all types of thin-film
photovoltaic technology and for various types of electrolyser.
" For the first
time, we are working towards a market launch", says Becker. " We have created the basis to
make this reality."
Explore
further: Solar-powered
hydrogen production with improved efficiency
More information: Bugra Turan et al, Upscaling of
integrated photoelectrochemical water-splitting devices to large areas, Nature
Communications (2016). DOI:
10.1038/NCOMMS12681
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HOW
CAN INDIA TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THIS
BREAK-THROUGH ?
# LOCAL STORAGE
As it is , Shri Piyush Goyal ( Minister for Energy ) is
pushing for achieving 100
GW of Solar Power
generation ,
by
2022 . Most of this will get fed into the State / National Grid but quite a lot
will need highly efficient / high
power storage density , LOCAL storage devices ( Batteries ) , which are still a far cry
The
SYSTEM developed by Julich
researchers , could solve this problem
# FUEL FOR
VILLAGE WOMEN
All
over India , rooftop Solar
Water Heaters are getting
installed . These can be modified to produce Hydrogen
gas , for
use as a clean / non-polluting fuel for KITCHEN Stoves ! This could spell an end to
burning of WOOD in
" Chulhas
" in our villages , improving the health of village women and saving of jungles
# ALTERNATE TO
ELECTRIC CARS ?
A couple of months back, Shri Piyush Goyal announced intention
to replace India's current petrol / diesel vehicles with Electric vehicles , by
2030
Now , consider this :
* India
boasts of 200 million
vehicles today ( all Petrol / Diesel driven )
* We add some 10 million new vehicles each year
* Road Transport Ministry proposes to remove
from the roads, some 28
million vehicles which are 10 year old
* In past 3 years ( 2012-13
to 2015-16 ) , the total number of vehicles on Indian roads has gone up
from 172 million to 186 million
( some 4.5 million
per year ! )
*
There are just NO
charging stations for Electric Cars ! And without which , no car manufacturer
will go whole-
hog into manufacture of Electric Vehicles ( who will buy , if he cannot
re-charge in 5 minutes ? )
And no one is coming forward to set up such Electric Charging Stations ,
if he gets 3 cars per day to charge !
A classical " Chicken
First or Egg First ? " situation !
But most Petrol Station owners would
be happy to install a Julich
Device on the rooftop of his station , if it sells
for less than Rs 5 lakhs ! That would enable him to
" recharge " hydrogen fuel driven vehicles , while continuing to
service Petrol / Diesel vehicles ! Of course , he has no shortage of water !
This arrangement can permit a gradual change-over from
Petrol / Diesel driven vehicles to non-polluting Hydrogen-
Fuel
driven vehicles , since switch-over to a Hydrogen-Fuel Combustion Engine is
much easier for Vehicle
Manufacturers as compared to changing over to Electric
Vehicles
I hope either Shri
Gadkari or Shri Goyal will send an email to Julich researcher , Becker , inviting him
to set up his
first manufacturing facility in India
He would , if the " Invite
" is accompanied by a promise to exempt this company from Corporate Income Tax for
the next 10 years
!
And no need to be apologetic for an
honest decision taken in the sole interest of the country - media attacks notwithstanding !
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14
Sept 2016
www.hemenparekh.in / blogs
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