[Hitstirrer]

Low-cost solar-to-hydrogen cell achieves breakthrough 17.6% efficiency

Hydrogen's impressive energy density offers some compelling advantages that could see it make a huge difference in the electric aviation and eVTOL sectors, as well as in renewable energy, where it's a lightweight and transportable, if not particularly efficient, way to store clean energy that's not…

newatlas.com

 

[MetalHead]

Interesting stuff. Good find!

 

[jmacneil]

The applications listed in the summary seem about right - aviation and stationary energy storage.
Not for road vehicles - except perhaps heavy trucks.

 

[Mr_G]

The applications listed in the summary seem about right - aviation and stationary energy storage.
Not for road vehicles - except perhaps heavy trucks.

Inter-seasonal energy store for off-grid dwellings is another possible.

 

[EdH]

Just interseasonal store for everyone really. Maybe a pity that it's the same "hot" Countries that will have the most of it and also that it is quite explosive.

 

[Orrery]

I'd guess that it is a non-starter. It requires a dedicated solar panel, where the attractions of a general purpose solar PV panel are clear, and it can be used with electrolysis to create hydrogen during a surplus.

It may not be as efficient, but the benefits of having massive solar PV generation in a grid system, and then selling (giving away, or at negative cost) surplus for long term storage seem pretty clear to me.

 

[Orrery]

Hydrogen seems to me to be flogging a dead horse after it has bolted.

 

[JeffG]

Didn't they already try using hydrogen for aviation?

 

[jmacneil]

My suspicion is that it's unlikely to be used as actual Hydrogen, more likely to be converted to syngas or ammonia for longer term/easier storage.