Revolution in solar energy storing systems
Date: 4.8.2008
New process for storing solar energy was developed by MIT researchers. It is able to store solar power when the sun doesn't shine. This means the revolution which could transform solar power into a mainstream energy source.
Solar power has been a limited, **daytime-only energy** source. Storing extra solar energy for later use was to expensive and inefficient. The new study brings a simple, inexpensive, highly efficient technique for storing solar energy. The method was inspired by the photosynthesis performed by plants. The key component in this process a **catalyst** which consists of cobalt metal, phosphate and an electrode, placed in water.
#img_1002#.> *Credit: Patrick Gillooly, MIT*
Using the catalyst, the solar energy is used to split water into **hydrogen and oxygen gases**. Later, the oxygen and hydrogen may be recombined inside a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity.
Researchers hope that within 10 years, homeowners will be able to power their homes in daylight through photovoltaic cells, while using excess **solar energy** to produce hydrogen and oxygen to power their own household fuel cell.
Source: "http://web.mit.edu":[ http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/oxygen-0731.html]
