The Atomic Punk
1.008 amu is the atomic weight of Hydrogen, the lightest element on the periodic table with a high energy density but loses two thirds of its efficiency after transporting to a usable state. Hydrogen only exists in nature when combined with other elements and has been challenging scientists for years to wrangle it in gas, liquid, and solid forms. The energy expended in the conversion has oftentimes exceeded the usable form. It also has nine color codes describing its source or process to make it. Hydrogen is a punk.
Source: CNBC
Green Hydrogen and its renewable energy avengers is a hulk hero in the making. But, there is a long way to go to vanquish fossil fuel-based hydrogen sources. Investment in green hydrogen has momentum, for example Engie for the United Arab Emirates.
Source: CNBC
Image: Hydrogen Production Methods, CNBC
While lithium-ion batteries have achieved critical mass for consumer vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells seem on top for fleet vehicles primarily to replace diesel engines for long haul use cases. Toyota Hino commercial long haul trucks is an example. Lavo in Australia is providing a home storage unit as an alternative to lithium-ion. The math works in favor of Lavo systems after 10 years of operations.
Image: Lavo CEO Alan Yu, IEEE
A clean energy electrical grid will require more longer term storage. Mitsubishi Power, Hitachi and Magnum Development are using hydrogen to store renewable energy in underground salt domes through the Advanced Clean Energy Storage Project.
Source: Mitsubishi Power
Hydrogen adoption may happen without the consumer even knowing it was implemented in the backend of a utility. We all may get punk’d.