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Using Sun's Energy to Split Water Means Solar Power All Night

Posted by timothy on from the party-like-it's-2099 dept.

phorm writes "Reuters is carrying an article about a recent MIT development which may pave the way for solar-energy to be collected for use in low-input periods. According to Reuters, the discovery of the a new catalyst for separating hydrogen+oxygen from water requires only 10% of the electricity of current methods. This would allow storage-cells to function as a form of battery for other forms of energy-collection, such as solar panels. The new method is also much safer (and likely environmentally friendly) than current methods, which require the use of a dangerously caustic environment, and specialized storage containers." sanjosanjo points out coverage of the process at EE Times, which features the MIT group's press release.

4 of 557 comments (clear)

  1. yet another empty promise from the green factions by timmarhy · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    If what these people said was true i'd be up to my neck in melted polar caps, driving my solar PV powered car and sleeping in my bio dome to escape the mutated nuclear vampire bats at night.

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  2. Stupid greens, they will believe anything by jmorris42 · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    If anybody actually believed this were true you can bet yer ass the headline wouldn't be some gaywad solar power crap. This reads like 'gimme more funding' not 'major breakthrough, woo hoo I'm going to be rich!'

    Near 100% efficiency converting electricity and H2O into H and O2 would be major. Fuel cells are already pretty efficent. So combined you would have the damned holy grail of energy storage. Billions and billions in wealth waiting to be reaped from people happy to hand over the money because real problems would be solved.

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  3. Gimme a break by postermmxvicom · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    "it will either get snapped up by an oil-company owned holding company, or strangled by licensing fees/requirements/exclusivity deals."

    Please. Show me a technology suppressed by the oil companies and I'll show you a scam.

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  4. Re:I have my doubts... but, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    you don't let any researcher (or institution) off the hook because of his popularity - what kind of science would that be?

    Oh, oh, oh, I know that one... climate modeling.

    Go ahead, ask me another.