Getting the Most From Renewables
About the Author
Planet Forward is a whole new type of citizen conversation, flowing from web to television and back again. We're bringing together citizens and experts to talk about energy. You submit your viewpoint to the site, and the best submissions have a chance to be featured on the Planet Forward television special. After the show, the discussion moves back to the web site. You can find out more on our About Planet Forward page.
About This Video
Getting the most out of renewable energy means finding a way to store it. Kevin Harrison of the National Renewable Energy Lab explains how hydrogen fuel cells are revolutionizing how we derive energy from renewable sources. Accounting for the natural variability in wind and solar power, fuel cells are, essentially, batteries that store electricity, from the wind or sun, in the form of gaseous hydrogen. When a car runs on these hydrogen fuel cells, the emissions -- in the form of water vapor -- are completely clean and renewable.
Join the Discussion
Welcome to Planet Forward – real dialogue on energy issues: experts, policymakers, citizens and you! This is your chance to have your voice heard on one of the biggest challenges of our times: whether we can move away from using fossil fuels and if we should, how should we do it?
Send us a video, written essay, podcast, song, etc. (see our guidelines for details). They’ll spark debate online, where site users will rate their favorites.
For inspiration, we recommend you check out our PBS TV special, and our web sequel, with Van Jones, President Obama's green jobs advisor, joining Planet Forward's Frank Sesno in a discussion of the formula for our energy future.
1 comment for "Getting the Most From Renewables".
1. Solar
NREL should just use electric to charge vehicles. It 4 times less expensive than making hydrogen.
A PEM fuel cell is very expensive and contains rare elements. Lithium batteries and ultra capacitors are much better and here today. You don't have to be a Phd or Engineer to pick the best system that's here and now at the best cost. It's simple and it's here.
Check and you'll see fuel cell vehicles are about a million dollars each, can't start in the cold with out batteries and can't use regenerative braking with out batteries. The best thing about a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is it makes a good lithium battery vehicle like the Tesla family S Sedan that goes 300 miles on a charge for $50,000 look cheap compared to the 1 Million dollar fuel cell vehicle.