The economic feasibility of producing hydrogen from sunlight, wind, and biomass energy
Studies have been made to determine the economic feasibility of photoelectrochemical (PEC), electrolytical, and thermochemical technologies to convert solar and wind energy and biomass into hydrogen. The analyses that have been conducted can essentially be broken up into three blocks: and analysis an analysis of PEC conversion of sunlight, analyses of photovoltaic (PV)- and wind-based systems, and analyses of thermochemical biomass systems. PEC, by combining a semiconductor and an electro catalyst into a single monolithic device, is an alternative to PV/electrolysis. In studying PV- and wind-based electrolysis systems, opportunities to reduce hydrogen production costs through interaction with the electric utility grid were explored. The thermochemical routes studied for biomass conversion include gasification and pyrolysis followed by steam reforming and water gas shift conversion. The systems studied were based on four types of reactors: low pressure, indirectly-heated gasification; high pressure, direct-fired gasification; fluid bed pyrolysis; and high pressure, high temperature partial oxidation. Sensitivity analyses were an integral part of all analyses performed. These helped to identify situations that would maximize the economics, and to direct research toward areas that can have the largest impacts on costs. A comparison of the cost of hydrogen from all systems studied will be presented.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 20030623
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Renewable and advanced energy systems for the 21st Century, Maui, HI (US), 04/11/1999--04/15/1999; Other Information: 1 CD-ROM. Operating system required: Windows i386, i486, Pentium or Pentium Pro, MS Windows 3.1, 95 or NT3.51; Macintosh, Power Macintosh with a 68020 or greater processor, System software version 7.1, 3.5 MB RAM; UNIX; PBD: 1999; Related Information: In: Renewable and advanced energy systems for the 21st century, RAES'99: Proceedings, by Hogan, R.; Kim, Y.; Kleis, S.; O'Neal, D.; Tanaka, T. [eds.], [1125] pages.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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