Turning sunlight into fuel. Sunlight is one of the most important elements in the world. For the past few years, we have been using sunlight for electricity through solar panels. Imagine a world where sunlight is not only used for electricity but also uses sunlight energy and turns into fuels: hydrogen. There is a process known as photoelectrochemical water splitting.
Photoelectrochemical water splitting
The photoelectrochemical (PEC) process uses sunlight to split water molecules into Hydrogen and oxygen. The PEC water-splitting process uses a device called a photoelectrochemical cell. This cell contains a semiconductor material called a photoelectrode, that observes sunlight. When sunlight hits the semiconductor material it excites electrons. Then these excited electrons can be used to split water molecules into hydrogen gas. Then the water splitting involves in two main reactions one is the oxygen evolution reaction and the other is the hydrogen evolution reaction.
Pros
Renewable and Readily Available: Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the world Hydrogen, It is a renewable and abundant energy source that is ideal for our future zero-carbon energy needs for combined heat and power supplies.
Almost zero Emissions: Hydrogen fuel cells do not generate any harmful gases and It reduces pollution and improve the environment quality.
No Noise and Visual Pollution: Hydrogen fuel doesn’t produce any noise pollution like other sources of energy like wind power and some low-carbon energy sources, including wind and biofuel power plants can be an eyesore, however, the hydrogen cells are less visual pollution too.
Cons
Investment is Required: These fuels need investments to be developed and this will also require the political support, It takes more time and money in order to improve the technology.
Cost of raw materials: For this process, they need some precious metals like platinum and iridium are the most important in fuel cells, and some type of electrolyser. These materials can be expensive to purchase.
Infrastructure: Because fossil fuels have been used for decades, large-scale adoption of hydrogen fuel cell technology for automation application will requires new refueling infrastructure to support it.
Conclusion
Turning sunlight into hydrogen fuel is a wonderful concept with the potential to transform the energy landscape. by using the power of the sun we can produce a clean and renewable fuel that can be used in different ways in the future. hydrogen fuel is the best solution for the future of our energy requirements.
