Hybrid solar system makes rooftop hydrogen

Jorge@rthur Posted: tendencias inteligentes...

by Staff Writers
Durham NC (SPX) Aug 11, 2011

This is the hybrid system schematic. Credit: Nico Hotz

While roofs across the world sport photovoltaic solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity, a Duke University engineer believes a novel hybrid system can wring even more useful energy out of the sun's rays.

Instead of systems based on standard solar panels, Duke engineer Nico Hotz proposes a hybrid option in which sunlight heats a combination of water and methanol in a maze of glass tubes on a rooftop. After two catalytic reactions, the system produces hydrogen much more efficiently than current technology without significant impurities. The resulting hydrogen can be stored and used on demand in fuel cells.

Hybrid solar system makes rooftop hydrogen