MIT Breakthrough In Solar

[magekillr]

MIT's major breakthrough: Storing solar energy when the sun doesn't shine

 

 

 

In the span of an hour, enough sunlight strikes Earth to satisfy the whole planet's energy requirements for a year. Thanks to MIT research, we now have a way to turn solar power into a major energy source.

 

 

 

Researchers there have found a simple, inexpensive, highly efficient way to store energy for use when the sun isn't shining.

 

 

 

"That's why I know this is going to work. It's so easy to implement," said MIT's Daniel Nocera, the Henry Dreyfus Professor of Energy at MIT and senior author of a paper in Science about the work.

 

 

 

Solar power hasn't been a large-scale energy solution because storing extra solar energy has been hugely expensive and terribly inefficient up until now.

 

 

 

"This is the nirvana of what we've been talking about for years," said Nocera. "Solar power has always been a limited, far-off solution. Now we can seriously think about solar power as unlimited and soon."

 

 

 

How'd they do it? They were inspired by the photosynthesis plants do. Nocera and a colleage crafted a process that lets the sun's energy be used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. A water split occurs naturally during photosynthesis. The oxygen and hydrogen can later be recombined inside a fuel cell. Fuel cells make carbon-free electricity to power our gadgets, homes, and electric cars.

 

 

 

Their work employs a new catalyst that works at room temperature in neutral pH water. That's what makes it so easy to set up.

 

 

 

They still need to do more engineering work to integrate this tech into the photovalic systems we already have, but Nocera predicts that will soon be a reality. He hopes that within a decade, we'll be able to power our homes in daylight through photovoltaic cells and the solar energy we don't use will produce hydrogen and oxygen to power a household's fuel cell.

 

 

 

What could that mean for current power companies? Electricity sent by a central source via wire could one day be like rotary phones.

 

 

 

Nocera's project was part of the MIT Energy Initiative. It's a program that aims to improve our energy systems now so we won't be so strained in the future. The program's success may be in part attributed to the fact that it relies on mixed funding sources -- governmental, philanthropic, and industrial.

 

 

 

This project was funded by the National Science Foundation and the Chesonis Family Foundation. The foundation gave MIT $10 million this spring to launch the Solar Revolution Project.

 

 

 

It stipulated the goal would be large-scale implementation of solar energy within ten years.

 

 

 

Now, the BIG that this is a big deal is because this is not some company claiming to have made a breakthrough that may not have a chance of going anywhere... this is an MIT laboratory, which will be publishing its work in a peer-reviewed journal, Science. That already speaks volumes for the veracity of this research. Furthermore, it gets around the efficiency problems we've been having with silicon solar panels because it mimics an efficient process found in nature. Finally, once we find an efficient manufacturing process for this technology, it would render power plants virtually obsolete when it comes to powering homes. But the process also has chemical byproducts that can be recombined in fuel cells that could power other things too.

 

 

 

 

 

This is pretty cool, but I'm forgetting that OFFSHORE DRILLING is the energy breakthrough of the year. :lol:

 

 

 

SOURCE: www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731143345.htm

 

 

 

http://blogs.usatoday.com/sciencefair/2 ... -brea.html

[mrpez]

ah yes, fuel cells and solar energy.

 

 

 

unfortunately, oil companies will "lobby" the crooks in congress to keep these alternative methods of energy out of american homes for as long as possible.

[Zierro]

Interesting, do you happen to know the date of the article though? I Googled it and got nothing.

[magekillr]

Interesting, do you happen to know the date of the article though? I Googled it and got nothing.

 

 

 

Yeah sure, I'll edit it in.

 

 

 

blogs.usatoday.com/sciencefair/2008/07/mits-major-brea.html

 

 

 

For more detailed information:

 

 

 

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080731143345.htm

[nickeley102]

ah yes, fuel cells and solar energy.

 

 

 

unfortunately, oil companies will "lobby" the crooks in congress to keep these alternative methods of energy out of american homes for as long as possible.

 

 

 

so true

 

 

 

the more advances like this the more likely we will shed our oil stained skin though. and the crooks can cheat us elsewhere

[Lenticular_J]

Hope it actually gets somewhere. I feel the same about the guys in Philadelphia that turn carbon-based garbage into diesel. They probably won't, though. Not anytime too soon.

[mmmcannibalism]

ah yes, fuel cells and solar energy.

 

 

 

unfortunately, oil companies will "lobby" the crooks in congress to keep these alternative methods of energy out of american homes for as long as possible.

 

 

 

so true

 

 

 

hopefully panels will become cheap enough to gain wide spread private use, getting around the oil company and political blockage

[jackattack]

Now, the BIG that this is a big deal is because this is not some company claiming to have made a breakthrough that may not have a chance of going anywhere... this is an MIT laboratory, which will be publishing its work in a peer-reviewed journal, Science. That already speaks volumes for the veracity of this research.

 

 

 

It would be better if a company had discovered it. Then it would hit the market faster. Being published in Science doesn't make any difference in the real world.

[BlueLancer]

Oil companies can't fend off these projects for a long time either, do the math...

 

 

 

Who is more powerful, oil companies, or all the other businesses of the world combined together? All businesses (bar Oil, obviously) wish for cheaper oil prices, which will reduce their operating costs and increase their profits. Think industrial business, transport, factories...

 

 

 

There are many more businesses and politicians benefiting from cheap oil than from expensive one, plus the politicians gain extra public support by managing to cut down gas prices.

 

 

 

The sad thing is... USA is an exception, a lot of politicians are involved in oil business, so while Japan/China/Europe advance towards unlimited solar energy, Washington crooks will try to make excuses about why the american public "needs" oil to run the economy. Nice marketing pitch.

[jackattack]

^^ I don't know where your getting that from. What the politicians are saying is that they want an all of the above approach. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid won't even allow a vote.

[Shiny]

I agree with you lancer. Damn USA crooks. :shame:

 

 

 

This is good for places like nz where there are heaps of small business' suffering because of oil...again "Finger of shame"

 

 

 

:shame:

[magekillr]

No, they're not, and I won't even bother talking about that because I do not wish for this to turn into an oil debate.

 

 

 

The breakthrough here, however, is that the MIT researchers were able to accomplish this using using cobalt and phosphate. To quote a Scientific American article found here:

 

 

 

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=hyd ... -the-cheap

 

 

 

"But Nocera and postdoctoral fellow Matthew Kanan discovered it could be accomplished by simply adding the metals cobalt and phosphate to water and running a current through it. In contrast to platinum, cobalt and phosphate cost roughly $2.25 an ounce and $.05 an ounce, respectively."

 

 

 

In comparison, platinum and other precious metals cost about $1,700 to $2,000 per ounce.

 

 

 

So, this newly discovered process is a LOT more cost effective for mainstream use.

 

 

 

This is too exciting :thumbsup:

[jackattack]

Yes they are. Watch cspan. They want drilling, oil shale, clean coal, nuclear solar, wind, geothermal, and conservation. I'd call that all of the above.

 

 

 

edit: forgot hydrogen and natural gas.

[magekillr]

Nobody's saying we shouldn't bother with offshore drilling, at least I'm not. What we're saying is offshore drilling is not the immediate solution nor is it a long term solution because we have a finite supply of oil. Oil companies already have millions of acres of land leased to them for drilling but they won't use it because they're trying to maximize their profits. Even if the oil companies got what they want it would only lower the price of oil .20-.30 cents a gallon 10 years from now. Meanwhile we can take other steps to lower our dependency, but no one cares, and hasn't cared for 30 years.

 

 

 

The Republican leaders are playing us. They are raking in millions in money from oil lobbyists in return for passing legislation that helps drive up oil profits, leading to even more money for the Republicans. Offshore drilling isn't better for us, its better for them.

[dusqi]

Furthermore, it gets around the efficiency problems we've been having with silicon solar panels because it mimics an efficient process found in nature.

 

 

 

Nup, from what I read (my source), it is used in combination with solar cells. The solar cells create the electrical power from the sun, and then this new cell uses the electricity to split water and create hydrogen. Therefore, the hydrogen fuel cells can work through the night even when the sun goes down. So, the solar cells are still just as inefficient as they were before, they just have this extra addition.

 

 

 

So, what is it good for? Currently you'd have to connect your solar cells to the national grid in order to put power into the grid during the day and get power out at night. With these new things you won't have to because the fuel cells will charge up during the day and then charge down at night.

 

 

 

Also, apparently they already have a system that does this already using Nickel oxide, at a similar efficiency level. The downside is that it reacts with the air, so it has to be protected from environmental contaminants. This new system has the advantage that it is 'green', and so cheaper.

 

 

 

So, from what I can tell:

 

- It has the advantage that you don't have to connect to the national grid

 

- We could already do this before, this is just a cheaper method.

 

- It doesn't actually make solar cells themselves any more efficient.

 

 

 

Not a "breakthrough", I'd say. But nevertheless, good stuff.

 

 

 

~~~

 

 

 

Also, I frequently read claims about how oil companies are stifling invention. Does anyone actually have any examples of this?

[mmmcannibalism]

Yes they are. Watch cspan. They want drilling, oil shale, clean coal, nuclear solar, wind, geothermal, and conservation. I'd call that all of the above.

 

 

 

edit: forgot hydrogen and natural gas.

 

 

 

problem is they are putting focus on the drilling for more oil, which we do need but not enough on wind and solar which are both clean and safe.(nuclear would also be safe and clean we just need to figure out a good way to store nuclear waste. We need to remove oil from being used as fuel as quickly as we can without causing major trouble because we need to save it for making plastics and everything else it is used for. Going after everything is the best solution we just need to make sure its more then a political game to say we are going after everything

 

 

 

edit-

 

 

 

Also, I frequently read claims about how oil companies are stifling invention. Does anyone actually have any examples of this?

 

 

 

I dont know anything like that offhand though one relevant example might be a recent attempt to put a solar panel field up in the desert was stopped because of goverment environmental studies to see if the solar panels would harm wildlife, in the middle of a desert

[Latinoking]

I hate the corruption of United States politicians. They more the likely won't approve or try to get the EPA to say it's harmful.

[jackattack]

No one says drilling is the sole solution. It would have affects in the short term and long term. If we finally decide to untie our hands it would make a difference in the short term. In the short term speculators would not continue driving up the prices because there would be more supply coming online. Look what happened when the President lifted his moratorium on drilling. I know thats not the full reason prices went down but it had an affect. Also Opec would lower prices. If Chuck Schumer says another 1 million barrels a day from opec would take 50 cents of the price of gas what would the millions we could have here do? Even if it would make no difference shouldn't we use American made energy? We could stop sending money to Iran and Venezuela and create American jobs. And the millions of acres you talk about is just some bs. Why don't we let oil companies trade out 10 aces they have under lease and trade it out for good 1 acre. The Republicans want an all of the above energy plan. The American energy act has conservation, increased domestic production and renewables. Nancy Pelosi won't even allow a vote on this.

 

 

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121391719487790187.html

[mrpez]

I hate the corruption of United States politicians. They more the likely won't approve or try to get the EPA to say it's harmful.

 

 

 

id love to see the epa try to declare solar energy as harmful.

[magekillr]

Not a "breakthrough", I'd say. But nevertheless, good stuff.

 

 

 

Hmmm, perhaps. However, lowering the costs from almost $2,000 an ounce in raw material for the catalysts to a mere few dollars is pretty damned close to a breakthrough, in my opinion. Lol.

 

 

 

What was used before? Rhodium?

[anonymous1234]

I hate the corruption of United States politicians. They more the likely won't approve or try to get the EPA to say it's harmful.

 

 

 

id love to see the epa try to declare solar energy as harmful.

 

I wouldn't be surprised :wall:

[Lenticular_J]

I hate the corruption of United States politicians. They more the likely won't approve or try to get the EPA to say it's harmful.

 

All politicians are corrupt. It's the very definition of the word these days.

[warri0r45]

Another step foreward. Sounds good to me.

[Dalcyte]

ah yes, fuel cells and solar energy.

 

 

 

unfortunately, oil companies will "lobby" the crooks in congress to keep these alternative methods of energy out of american homes for as long as possible.

 

 

 

Depressing but likely. It's not the congresspeople's fault though...it's the lobbyists. They'll find some way to spin this of course. Brilliant really. Corrupt, but brilliant.

 

 

 

Anyway, this is great news! Just gotta keep making progress

[magekillr]

Oh and Jack, another thing that Americans don't realize:

 

 

 

People for drilling frame the argument to make it seem like the oil that comes from the depths of the ocean will go directly to America. The irony is, the only way this would happen would be if they U.S. had a national oil company run by the government. So much for the free market! The oil will be traded in a worldwide market, making the prospect of lowered fuel prices specifically for America pretty darned laughable.

 

 

 

It won't belong to America. It will belong to Exxon and they will put it on the free market that the GOP loves so much. That is, until the market betrays them.

 

 

 

edit: to dusqi, further clarification of what I consider a breakthrough:

 

 

 

You're right, the solar cells themselves aren't more efficient. The difference is that now it'll be more cost effective to create a large-scale hydrogen generator, which would have been prohibitively expensive before. Basically you could deploy fields of solar cells in huge open spaces and harvest mass volumes of hydrogen in an economically viable way.

 

 

 

I think it's good news, since this was one of the big reasons why people would dismiss the mass deployment of solar. Certainly finding enough platinum to make a large-scale generator would be a lot more expensive than oil is even now.

 

 

 

So, to contextualize the finding, they may have solved one big limiting factor in the entire chain. I imagine this is a nice catalyst for the other areas of solar power research, like solar cell efficiency, to receive more focus and funding.