Sunlight Used To Create Liquid Fuel

A solar-powered car is not exactly new in terms of inventions and science, but this does not mean that solar-powered vehicles are going to take over the world anytime soon. They are far from being commercially ready and available, and there are many other considerations to take into account, too. Well, with the falling price of oil over the past few months, driving a gas guzzler ain’t too bad on your bank account – for the moment. Still, we should look forward to a world of sustainable energy use, and what if there was a way to create fuel out of sunlight?

Daniel Nocera, the Harvard professor behind the artificial leaf, has managed to come up with an interesting method to harness the power of sunlight by using silicon to split water into oxygen and hydrogen. Theoretically speaking, it is missing that one crucial step to create hydrogen fuel cells – in other words, to make use of sunlight to come up with fuel, now how about that for creativity?

Unfortunately, the infrastructure for a hydrogen-fueled economy is far from being a reality at this point in time, so it is back to driving your electric, hybrid, diesel and gas powered rides to get around.

Edwin Kee
Categories: Green, Transportation
Tags: Science, solar power