Solar Hydrogen
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  Solar Hydrogen Production
  Hydrogen is produced from clean solar thermal energy. Unlike the current industrial method, which generates hydrogen from methane and produces significant carbon dioxide greenhouse gas, our technology has not such emissions.
 
Parabolic Trough collectors are used to generate electricity using a conventional steam turbine power plant. Solar thermal power plants, using parabolic troughs collectors, are one of the lowest cost solar power technology available today. The cost of electricity from these power plants is approximately $0.10 to $0.12 per kWh, and with improvements, is expected to drop to $0.04 to $0.05 per kWh.

The electricity produced is used to drive a high-temperature electrolysis process, using a Solid Oxide Electrolyzer (SOEC). The Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell, is essentially a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell in regenerative mode. It can be used for the direct electrolysis of H2O to produce hydrogen and oxygen.

   
  High temperature electrolysis is more efficient than traditional electrolysis because some of the energy needed is supplied as heat, and the electrical energy needed is significantly reduced.
   
 
   
  The SOEC system uses yittria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) solid electrolytes, with gadolinia doped ceria (GDC) as the material for the cathode. GDC is much less expensive than the platinum, which is typically used in most hydrogen electrolyzers. Also, ceria is an effective electrocatalyst for H2 production in solid oxide fuel cells.
   
  Solar Methanol Production
  Solar Methanol