Methane to hydrogen solar container

The UCLA engineers’ new clean process employs concentrated solar-powered heating to break up methane gas into the two high-value products without emitting any greenhouse gas. Hydrogen production from sunlight using innovative photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical systems offers decentralized, sustainable energy solutions with potential applications in remote, off-grid locations. Long-duration energy storage is the key challenge facing renewable energy transition in the future of well over 50% and up to 75% of primary energy supply with intermittent solar and wind electricity, while up to 25% would come from biomass, which requires traditional type storage. It’s even better if you don’t have to transport it at all, instead synthesizing it cheaply and easily where it’s needed. Methane has a greenhouse effect 80 times worse than carbon dioxide over a 20-year period, and emissions are skyrocketing even as we start reducing CO2. That makes UCF's new hydrocarbon-capturing, sunlight-powered catalyst a very compelling idea.