Disclaimer: This press release was originally published in German by . The following is an English translation provided for informational purposes only. In case of discrepancies, the original German version shall prevail.
Instead of transporting hydrogen across thousands of kilometers, it could be produced directly within a solar panel — at least, according to some engineers from Belgium. Could this now be the alternative to batteries?
In 2011, two engineers from the Catholic University (KU) Leuven joined forces to produce hydrogen using nothing but air and sunlight. Over time, their idea evolved into a research project that a team of university engineers has been working on for over ten years. To support the project, the scientists founded a company called The Solhyd Project. This led to the development of a hydrogen solar panel, which is set to become a future competitor to photovoltaics and solar thermal systems.
The basic principle is fairly simple: ambient air flows through the panel. The water contained in the air — in the form of vapor — is split into hydrogen and oxygen within the panel using sunlight. The hydrogen is channeled out via a gas line and can then be compressed and stored in a tank. The stored hydrogen can be used for heating via a boiler, or to generate electricity using a fuel cell. The separated oxygen is simply released back into the surrounding air. According to the company, even in the driest areas of the world, there’s still enough water vapor in the air to produce hydrogen using these modules.
According to Solhyd Project, a single panel can generate 250 liters of hydrogen per day. With 20 panels, it would be possible to supply an entire single-family home with energy. However, these innovative solar cells are not yet available on the market. The inventors are currently testing the modules in several pilot projects. In their estimation, the hydrogen modules could become commercially available by 2030.
The hydrogen solar panel splits water vapor from the air into hydrogen and oxygen using sunlight.
(Source: Solhyd)
Pros and cons of hydrogen modules
If the technology becomes market-ready by 2030, it would offer several advantages compared to photovoltaics and solar thermal systems. Hydrogen is a relatively easy energy carrier to store. Additionally, the construction of Solhyd panels avoids expensive or environmentally harmful materials. This is in contrast to photovoltaic cells, which require complex recycling processes.
However, hydrogen is also an explosive and volatile gas, which must be taken into account when designing pipe systems within buildings.
Using the hydrogen panels to refuel cars is still a vision of the future. To produce hydrogen suitable as a fuel for vehicles, extremely high pressure is needed. Hydrogen tanks in vehicles operate at pressures of around 700 bar, which requires a significant amount of energy for compression and refueling. Therefore, using the hydrogen modules to refuel hydrogen-powered vehicles is not yet a realistic application.