What if different solar technologies were combined
What if Solaroad’s Electrawall technology was mixed with Daniel Nocera’s research technology? Electrawall incorporates technologies that allow the units to collect energy rain or shine, night and day. Daniel Nocera’s research is developing a method of creating a photosynthesis type of reaction with solar cells that would split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
Solaroad’s Electrawall is a combination of amorphous silicon solar cells and thermionic material which collect light and heat and turn them into electricity. Nocera’s artificial photosynthesis process uses only sunlight to create energy that can be used night and day by turning water into hydrogen and oxygen for storage. The hydrogen gas can be used to power a variety of things or the hydrogen and oxygen can be recombined in a fuel cell to provide power.
What if you combined the two technologies into one. You could get energy using the Electrawall that would then be used both for ongoing energy and to make hydrogen gas or fuel cells. Two for the price of one.
The combination would provide enough energy to power everything you can think of that runs either on gas or solar generated electricity. Your home, your car, your office, your life would be powered by green energy that wasn’t hampered by low wind or limited solar light.
Solaroad is expecting to offer two of its products, the Electrawall and Cubetube this fall. Both are cylindrical and contain their own battery storage and capacitance capability. Electrawall is for use outdoors and Cubetube for use indoors gathering energy from indoor lighting.
Depending on the size of your house or office building you can use one or more of the Electrawall units to generate power. The units can be mounted on the roof, garden walls, the side of the building, where ever your building/house gets the most light and heat from the sun.
Nocera is looking at future solar technology like concentrated solar and distributive solar to utilize his artificial photosynthesis breaking water into its primary elements, hydrogen and oxygen. The technology has similar features to the Electrawall. The solar panel is combined with the electrolyzer using cobalt phosphate as a catalyst just as the Electrawall has photovoltaics and thermionic material.
If you combined Solaroad’s technology that is available now with Nocera’s idea, would the technologies blend? Would the combined system be able to provide more energy for less money? Who knows (probably Nocera) but the idea is intriguing.
There is an amazing amount of green technology that is already ready for use. Yes, there are still great innovations and discoveries that will come in the future, but why not utilize today’s technology to the fullest rather than always waiting for tomorrow.
Related Posts:
