Introduction
As population centers continue to grow in density their energy demands increase as well due to the level of technology needed to maintain a society within a concentrated area. Based on current estimates of the electrical use per household, it has been shown that on average a home/apartment in the U.S has an average daily use of 17 to 31 kHz (Kilowatt-hours) per day or 8250 kWh per annum. This results in the production of 8 tones of carbon pollution per household created each year due to the fact that 80% of the energy needs of the U.S. are met through the use of fossil fuels. One factor to consider when taking such figures into consideration is the fact that the population of the U.S. is estimated to grow by least 20 million more people by 2035. This is due to natural birth rates and immigration which will result in an even greater strain on the country’s resource infrastructure. This means that the use of utilities such as electricity will continue to grow along with the amount of carbon pollution released into the atmosphere which will reach astronomical rates due to the increase in domestic consumption.
What must first be understood is that population density as well as the industrial infrastructure within a given country directly affects the consumption of electricity. The greater the population density within a country the higher the likelihood of larger factory complexes existing in a certain area which directly contributes to the rising rate in energy consumption. The inherent problem with such a situation is that the continued growth of the country does not match the energy production capabilities of the various fossil fuel power plants available with expansions needed on their energy capacity on a yearly basis. It must also be mentioned that fossil fuels are a finite resource that can and will disappear within a few decades at the current rate of consumption both within the U.S. and the greater global population. Since 80% of the electricity produced in the U.S. originates from fossil fuel resources this means that the current energy infrastructure that feeds into American’s power grid is unsustainable in the long run as a result of dwindling fossil fuel resources.
As such, what is required in the case of the U.S. is to invest in an alternative form of energy so as to ensure that the country does not suffer from either a future energy crisis due to a lack of fuel or a polluted atmosphere as a result of unmitigated emissions from various power plants. One possible method of resolving this unsustainable energy scenario is to adopt the use of solar hydrogen powered cars and homes in order to effectively lessen the dependence of the U.S. on fossil fuel energy sources.
How does the Technology Work?
A typical solar hydrogen system consists of solar panels attached to the top of the home to collect energy, an electrolyzer (a device which is roughly the size of a washing machine used to break down water into its component parts namely hydrogen and oxygen), storage tanks to contain the extracted hydrogen gas and finally a Plug Power fuel cell stack (a device that combines hydrogen and oxygen to create electricity and water). The system works by harvesting solar energy from the sun, using it to separate water in the eletrolyzer, storing the separated hydrogen gas into containers and finally combine hydrogen and oxygen back together to create a reaction which produces electricity and water at the same time (Balabel & Zaky, 2011).
Such a system is self-sustainable with a semi-regular input of water from outside water resources thus making it a long term viable solution for domestic households to be independent from utilizing fossil fuels. Another application of this technology is the use of hydrogen refueling kits in order to make privately owned vehicles use hydrogen rather than gasoline which would greatly reduce the dependence of individual households on fossil fuel resources. Utilizing this type of technology is not only cleaner for the environment but over the course of a lifetime more affordable since it enables consumers to enjoy a virtually unlimited source of energy for their needs.
Impact on Global Society by 2021
The potential impact of this particular form of technology by 2021 is an overall reduction in the amount of pollutants and greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by fossil fuel burning power plants. As of 2011, there are varying concept cars that have already been made by companies such as Ford and Toyota that utilize hydrogen fuel cells as a means of fueling cars. By 2021 hydrogen fuel cells that come from solar hydrogen home systems may in fact become ubiquitous aspects of regular automotive use. Furthermore, the use of such systems in most households will lessen the dependence of many homes on electricity originating from regional power grid resulting in a gradual rescaling of national power systems.
It must be noted that due to the nonpolluting and self-sustaining nature of solar hydrogen systems this would in effect help to dramatically reduce the amount of pollution released into the atmosphere by fossil fuel engines, such as those in cars as well as the amount of CO2 released by traditional power plants (Priambodo, Yusivar, Subiantoro, & Gunawan, 2009). Due to the process being self-regulating and self-sustaining with only a minimal loss of water in the system, any water missing can easily be added via an external source. most of these systems producing more power than what most homes can reasonably consume The result is individual homes with such systems installed can actually act independently from the national power grid thus reducing the need for continued energy infrastructure expansion. Not only that, the residual output from the process is only clean water and electricity and as such has the potential to reduce carbon dioxide and soot released by fossil fuel burning power plants (The zero emission house is here, 2008). From this information alone it can be seen that one of the most noticeable impacts of solar hydrogen technology is that it could possibly usher in a cleaner and pollutant free future for humanity.
Current Problems with the Technology
Unfortunately there are some negative aspects associated with the use of the solar hydrogen technology. One factor that apparently researchers into solar hydrogen technology fail to take into consideration is the fact that should such systems become mandatory installations the result would of course be substantially increased home prices. For one thing an average setup can range from $50,000 to $100,000 depending on the size of the home. With domestic households spending an average of $1,500 per year on electricity it would take 50 years or so for some households to effectively gain any savings from the amount put into the installed system. As such, in order to make it more affordable for ordinary people the installation of solar hydrogen systems should be government subsidized and scaled over a period of several decades with conversion being limited to a few areas before it is implemented nationwide.
Another factor to consider is that stored hydrogen gas, while safe within containers, is still highly flammable. If the containers were ever ruptured the resulting explosion can and will turn the house and anyone in it into flaming cinders. On the other hand it must be mentioned that while the technology is viable it is still in its infancy and as with all technologies that have just been created the expense as a result is costly. It is estimated that affordable solar hydrogen system could be made available to the general public within the next 10 to 15 years depending on the level of technology. Until then it still remains a rather expensive alternative to traditional energy resources.
Reference List
Balabel, A., & Zaky, M. S. (2011). Experimental investigation of solar-hydrogen energy system performance. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 36(8), 4653-4663.
Priambodo, P., Yusivar, F., Subiantoro, A., & Gunawan, R. (2009). Development of electrolysis system powered by solar-cell array to supply hydrogen gas for fuel-cell energy resource systems. AIP Conference Proceedings, 1169(1), 206-213.
The zero emission house is here. (2008). Ecos, (145) 5.