Hello solar enthusiasts and eco-conscious readers, welcome back to my blog! A recent trend has caught my attention in the world of solar and it’s something I find both promising and intriguing. The buzz in this sector is about solar companies branching out into the development of hydrogen electrolyzer technology. It seems our traditional solar power landscape is diversifying, and as a solar expert, I am thrilled to bring this information to you.
It’s exciting to see an intersection between solar and the world of alternative energy forms. A prominent solar company is collaborating with an oil and gas company to develop large-scale solid oxide electrolyzer systems. These systems will produce hydrogen for Shell, marking a significant turn in leveraging green energy solutions. The technology points to a transformative moment for the decarbonization of industries, traditionally known to be hard to abate.
For those new to the concept, ‘Green’ hydrogen is typically defined as hydrogen produced using renewable energy and water electrolysis technology. This makes an outstanding contrast to other forms of hydrogen derived from fossil fuels. Solar panels for your home are noticeably familiar, but this new arena introduces the application of solar power to a far-ranging industrial spectrum – from refineries, steel processing, to cement plants.
In the current climate, the industrial sector’s carbon emissions are vast, and this innovation could herald a new era of decarbonization options – a perfect evolution of the solar array for home theme, but now on an industrial level.
The Green hydrogen industry is at the cusp of a transformative trajectory. Its role in providing long-duration energy storage capabilities and the potential for decarbonizing industries that are hard to electrify has elicited strong policy backing this year. It’s an exciting space with expected market milestones hitting $642 billion by 2030, and a whopping $1.4 trillion by 2050.
However, with technology innovations come challenges. Green hydrogen production is costly. My fellow expert, Rick Beuttel, says government policies and regulations can play a crucial part in enabling the green hydrogen market and reducing production costs. This could deliver robust business cases for companies to make investment decisions in green hydrogen projects – something all solar companies should certainly consider.
Ultimately, according to Beuttel, the introduced technology is 15% to 30% more efficient than competing, low-temperature technologies. As electricity accounts for roughly 70% of the cost of producing green hydrogen, a solid-oxide technology offers significant strides in reducing green hydrogen cost. More importantly, it enables the decarbonization of heavy industries, leading our world closer to a sustainable future.
The solar sector is clearly on a fascinating journey. We’re not just talking about solar panels for your home or a solar array for home anymore; the sector is expanding its reach into innovative technologies. Let’s look forward to more developments in this space. As always, keep it solar, stay sustainable, and remember, the sun is our greatest energy asset.
Original Articlehttps://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/03/07/bloom-energy-teams-up-with-shell-to-look-at-large-scale-hydrogen-projects/
