Why would anybody want to waste the lost energy converting electricity to hydrogen to electricity for the car?
Ain't it better to just put the electricity into the car and be done with it? I'm thinking the only sense this would make is long haul, since battery technology isn't quite there yet. Zeke Yewdall wrote: > Hmmmmm. The only article I could find that gives the specs of the > CIGS modules is from late 2005, and indicates 112 watts per module... > at $509 that's $4.54/watt.... a little cheaper than retail price for > standard crystalline PV, but also a little less power density than > standard crystalline PV. It doesn't mention what the thermal > degradation factor is... I know that the Siemens CIGS modules had a > bit higher degradation than standard silicon, which means less energy > production during hot days. > > Z > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Honda Entering Solar Cell Market for Homes and Vehicles > 18 December 2005 > Cigs > Typical layout of a CIGS solar cell (Univ. Strathclyde) > > Nikkei. Honda Motor is entering the market for solar cells designed > for use in households and also plans to promote their use in vehicles, > according to a report in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. > > Honda is building a ¥10-billion (US$86.5-million) factory to begin > mass production in fiscal 2007 of solar cells made an inexpensive > thin-membrane non-silicon metal compound developed by Honda > engineering. The Honda solar panels, first announced in 2002, feature > a light-absorbing layer formed by a compound made of copper, indium, > gallium and diselenium (CIGS). > > Thin-film solar cells based on CIGS (Cu(In,Ga)Se2) absorbers are among > the leading devices which are expected to lower the costs for > photovoltaic energy conversion. Other companies working with CIGS > cells include Shell Solar and Würth. > > Early Honda CIGS module prototypes had a maximum output of 112 W at > dimensions of 1,367 × 802 × 46 mm. Honda is working to improve the > efficiency. > > Honda's solar cells will likely sell for some 1.5 million yen each, > 20%-30% less than silicon-made cells, according to the report. > > The new plant will initially have an annual capacity to produce about > 30 megawatts worth of solar cells, enough for 10,000 households a > year. Initially, the company aims to market them only in Japan. But it > will later sell them in overseas markets, eyeing mainly North America > and Europe, where demand is expected to surge in the future. > > Honda is also considering a scheme that would use solar cells to power > a home electrolysis unit for the production of hydrogen for vehicle > refueling. Honda's current prototype home hydrogen energy systems rely > on natural gas reforming. (Earlier post.) > Hondaelectrolproto > Honda's prototype solar-powered electrolysis unit for hydrogen generation. > > Honda combined its CIGS solar cells with a Honda-developed compact > electrolysis unit that uses a new Ruthenium-based catalyst in a > prototype at its Torrance, California facility. > > The prototype solar-powered electrolysis unit produces hydrogen at a > rate of 2 normal cubic meters per hour (Nm3/hr). > > On Nov 11, 2007 7:39 PM, AltEnergyNetwork > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> Honda creating home system for drivers to make hydrogen >> >> http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/11/08/bloomberg/sxhonda.php >> >> TOKYO: Honda Motor, aiming to start mass production of fuel-cell cars >> by about 2015, is developing a system using solar energy for drivers >> to make hydrogen at home to fuel such vehicles. >> >> Individual production of hydrogen would let people refuel their cars >> without waiting for a network of stations to be set up, the company's >> president, Takeo Fukui, said. >> >> Automakers, under pressure to cut carbon dioxide emissions tied to >> global warming and tailpipe exhaust, are seeking alternatives to oil >> as prices approach $100 a barrel. >> >> Honda, Toyota Motor and General Motors have all said hydrogen powered >> autos are a long-term option, though they are costly to build and >> lack a refueling infrastructure. >> >> "Our ultimate goal is to use a renewable source of energy as a source >> of fuel," Masaaki Kato, the president of research and development at >> Honda, said. "So we use solar panels to generate electricity and we >> use the electricity to produce hydrogen." >> >> >> >> Honda, the second-largest automaker in Japan, plans Wednesday to >> unveil a fuel-cell vehicle based on its prototype FCX sports car at >> the Los Angeles Auto Show. >> >> In 2008, the new car initially will be leased "to fewer than 100" >> people, most in California, Fukui said Oct. 23. >> >> While producing hydrogen from solar-powered electrolysis would cut >> carbon dioxide emissions, it is not yet possible to do it cheaply or >> in sufficient quantity, said a chemistry professor, Nate Lewis, who >> is also an energy researcher at the California Institute of >> Technology. >> >> "You need to do that cheaply and scalably - neither of which we are >> even close to being able to do technically now," Lewis said. >> >> Honda began selling solar panels in Japan earlier this year to make >> electricity for homes. >> >> The panels, priced at ¥57,500, or $509, each, substitute a thin metal >> layer for silicone typically used in photovoltaic panels to reduce >> production costs and lower the energy needed to make them, Honda said. >> >> Honda has no "specific" plan to commercialize a home-based hydrogen- >> generation system, Kato said. Still, it could be ready for consumers >> within 10 years, according to Fukui. >> >> "We believe this should bring a breakthrough in providing >> infrastructure for fuel-cell vehicles," Fukui said. >> >> Caltex income rises on fuel >> Caltex Australia, the biggest oil refiner in the nation, expects full- >> year net income to rise as much as 29 percent as fuel production >> increases. >> >> Net income, including the effect of changes in oil prices on the >> value of stockpiles, may rise to between 550 million Australian >> dollars, or $510 million, and 600 million dollars in the year ending >> Dec. 31, from 466 million dollars last year, Caltex said Thursday. >> >> Caltex, half-owned by Chevron, estimates its two refineries near >> Brisbane and Sydney will increase production of gasoline, diesel and >> jet fuel to 11 billion liters, or 2.9 billion gallons, this year, >> from 10.2 billion in 2006. >> >> First-half profit jumped 33 percent, buoyed by higher refining >> margins, production and sales volumes, the company reported. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Get your daily alternative energy news >> >> Alternate Energy Resource Network >> 1000+ news sources-resources >> updated daily >> >> http://www.alternate-energy.net >> >> >> >> >> News Blog >> >> http://blog.alternate-energy.net/index.php >> >> >> >> >> Next_Generation_Grid >> >> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/next_generation_grid >> >> >> Alternative_Energy_Politics >> >> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Alternative_Energy_Politics >> >> >> Tomorrow-energy >> >> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/tomorrow-energy >> >> >> Earth_Rescue_International >> >> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Earth_Rescue_International >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Biofuel mailing list >> Biofuel@sustainablelists.org >> http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel >> >> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: >> http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html >> >> Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): >> http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ >> >> > > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
