SEARCH:
Sign in | Join | Help
search Mercola.com
 
FREE Subscription 
The World’s Most Popular Natural Health Newsletter
New Discovery Could Be Key to Unlimited Cheap Energy


Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered a new way of storing energy from sunlight. The breakthrough could potentially lead to ‘unlimited’ solar power.

The process, which is loosely based on plant photosynthesis, uses solar energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. When needed, the gases can then be re-combined in a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity whether the sun is shining or not.

The process uses natural materials, is inexpensive to conduct and is easy to set up.

Sources:

Dr. Mercola''s Comments Dr. Mercola's Comments:

There is enough energy in the sunshine that falls on the earth in less than one hour to satisfy the energy needs of the entire human race for ONE YEAR. About the only downside to solar energy is how to store that power for use at night or on cloudy days, and this new technology from MIT appears to solve that problem elegantly.

Unfortunately, most leaders of the world have been unwilling to fully endorse widespread use of solar energy, most likely because they can’t make money from it. Energy self-sufficient communities are not something these corporate and political giants are rooting for.

However, despite the fact that many are skeptical about our ability to produce solar power that can provide electricity at a low enough cost to be truly competitive, I personally believe we’ll get there.

And probably A LOT sooner than projected.

Solar Energy is Already Far Less Expensive and Less Toxic Than Coal

In order for clean solar energy to be adopted on a large scale, it has to become cheaper than energy from coal. Well, a company called Nanosolar has successfully created a solar coating that is as thin as a layer of paint.

These thin panels are created on an assembly line, similar to a printing press, making them very inexpensive to make. In fact, the technology has reduced the cost of production from $3 a watt to only 30 cents per watt, making solar power cheaper than burning coal for the first time in history.

Nanosolar won the Popular Science Innovation of 2007 award for this paint-layer-thin solar coating, and they were also named as one of TIME magazine’s best inventions of 2008.

This price reduction has the potential to radically change the equation when it comes to choosing your energy sources, just as it did for me. I changed my plans for my new office building to include solar power when I realized we could actually eliminate our former share of pollution AND lower our utility bills at the same time. It’s truly a win-win situation if there ever was one.

How Soon Will Solar Power be Widely Used?

Nanosolar has been producing huge solar panels for cities and utility-scale power plants this year, and next year plans to come up with solutions for businesses and homes.

Meanwhile, MIT researchers hope that within 10 years many homeowners will be powering their homes with the sun rather than electricity-by-wire. The synergy of these two technologies is quite profound.

If the U.S. makes a massive switch from coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power plants to solar power plants, it is possible that 69 percent of the United States’ electricity and 35 percent of its total energy could be solar-powered by 2050 or before.

It’s quite obvious that we have to stop relying on oil and fossil fuels for our energy needs, and we’re finally starting to see some very viable, exciting options. You can read about more of them in the Related Articles section below.


Related Links:



Comment on This Article Community Comments (31)
 
 
Posted On Oct 29, 2008
I recently saw a you tube video of a fellow who had rigged his home with this very same energy tech principal. He is apparently energy independant and is selling excess energy back to the utility company. ... As well he is storing produced hydrogen fuel in propane tanks outside his house. ..... Looked like it must have been quite costly to put together, and that was the main problem that I could see with it,.. but in principal,... it looked great. ... All he needed was a hydrogen fueled car and he would be all set ... Sorry I don't have that video link to post here.

 
shiva
Savvy User Savvy User, Joined On 10/2006
shiva  
Replied

AZhiker
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 1/2007
AZhiker  
 
Posted On Nov 11, 2008

Shiva-  That is very cool and could be a reality. The hydrogen fueled vehicle exists, and we have a few here is Phoenix. Department of Energy had a demonstration project with Arizona Public Service (electric Company) that included a station to fill with hydrogen. One of the pumps also had 15% hydrogen/85% CNG, which I used for my vehicle. The problem is the fueler to compress the hydrogen and the cost of getting the hydrogen conversion approved by the EPA. We have an at home fueler (compressor) for our natural gas vehicles. In 2006 both Ford and Chevy stopped making CNG vehicles and left it to after-market companies, who have to pay approx $200,000 to get the conversions approved through the EPA, and get through the approval process within the year. One of these companies in Mesa AZ is trying to get the Chevy Impala and the entire Chevy light duty truck platform (Suburban/1500 pick-up, etc) throught he approval process. I am assuming it is the same for Hydrogen. If someone makes a fueler everyone could make, compress and fill their vehicles with Hydrogen. Emission from Hydrogen= pure O2.


 
 
 
Posted On Nov 11, 2008

Solar energy is a very sensible source of power, however Nickoli Tesla wanted to give he world free electricity and it has been "suppressed" for well over 60 years. Investigate that!


 
anarchy
Novice User Novice User, Joined On 7/2008
anarchy  
Replied

ardentangel
Novice User Novice User Joined On 8/2007
ardentangel  
 
Posted On Nov 11, 2008

Yes, I have and there are many ways to produce energy that do not require fuel. I'm working on proving it.


 
 
 
Posted On Oct 28, 2008
Great research!

Use sunlight during daytime to run the house but also to make H2 and O2 for fuel cell... that´s just brilliant!

I live in Spain where the sun hits hard, and it´s mandatory to have photo-cells on every roofs... with this technology, it´s the begining of energetic independence, at an individual scale!

I just wonder if the oil companies and their lobbying force will let political decisions be made.

 
Doctor Nick
Novice User Novice User, Joined On 9/2007
Doctor Nick  
Replied

JohnTodd
Novice User Novice User Joined On 6/2006
JohnTodd  
 
Posted On Oct 29, 2008
You betcha they will lobby!  They are not going to let their money maker go away so easily.

Either that or he'll end up dead and his stuff will be lost in a fire.

Poor guy.  Such a tragedy, they'll say.

I say this because I have a friend in Florida who converted his motorcycle to water fuel and was planning on taking the technology to market.  Someone broke into his apartment in the middle of the night, stole his plans and all his materials, shot him, and left.  He survived, but he couldn't see his completely disguised assailant so no ID could be made.



TOOL
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 5/2007
TOOL  
 
Posted On Oct 29, 2008
More and more good new technology is getting through thanks to academic institutions, but the industries, theyll fight until every last penny in oil is gone, or they find it more profitable to switch.... and with the billions and billions of dollars of infrastructure for oil and other non-renewables around, it's fairly likely theyll take every penny they can.


judymike_us
Novice User Novice User Joined On 6/2006
judymike_us  
 
Posted On Nov 11, 2008

This makes me think of Nicola Tesla and his "free" electricity that was never allowed either.  At least we live in the internet age where such amazing work cannot be suppressed quite as easily.  Hopefully we will be able to benefit from this solar technology.



goodbytes
Novice User Novice User Joined On 8/2006
goodbytes  
 
Posted On Nov 13, 2008

JohnTodd - If anyone has a truly "disruptive technology" that would revolutionize the world, they shouldn't even consider trying to sell it, just give it away. If they're smart about how they choose to widely disseminate the information in an instantaneous way, they have a better chance of staying alive while still helping their fellow man and the ecosystem. There's just too much money and power wrapped up in the status-quo working against the big innovations.



Heather Marsh
Apprentice User Apprentice User Joined On 5/2008
Heather Marsh  
 
Posted On Dec 26, 2008

I hope so - or our bodies will supply the oil from which fossil fuels are made for the next emergence of sentient life, after the earth has finally recovered millions of years down the track.

We should be doing all we can to become sybiotes rather than parasites.


 
 
 
Posted On Nov 11, 2008

Pusher. Re Hydrogen, dont forget Garrett patented in-car-produced hydrogen in 1935. Dr Tom Beardon has a patented non statuionary so called over iunity gene, nobody dares manufacture. . Newmann has a so called over unity device, refudsed a patent for 30 years. Do you really think the goons in big oil will allow any of this. No way. They have even made it illegal to buy a hydrogen gene that adds H2 to the air intake, reducing consumption, except in kit form. Nah, we have to choke for the big boys petrodollars for awhile yet.


 
ThomasT
Apprentice User Apprentice User, Joined On 6/2006
ThomasT  
 
 
 
Posted On Nov 11, 2008

Has anyone heard of HHO Gas? request info. Burns ultra hot with sustained contact. Its easier to produce and safer than O2 an H2  seperate.

This is the new superfuel. at least for power generation plants and welding.

Its too late to shoot anyone on this one. :)


 
pusher
Novice User Novice User, Joined On 11/2007
pusher  
 
 
 
 
© Copyright 2009 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved. If you want to use this article on your site please click here. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Mercola is required.
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your physician before using this product.