Solar energy in a bottle

[nationalize the fed]

By John Romano, Executive Director, Telstra

We have been exploring a number of different types of renewable energy generation and storage solutions which we hope will help us to overcome one of the biggest challenges to running a network – power supply...



...About a year ago, we installed a solar fuel cell system to provide back-up power to a small exchange, approximately 90km east of Melbourne. Despite being fairly close to Melbourne, this system is in a fairly isolated locality bordering the Yarra Ranges National Park.

What makes our solar fuel cell unique is the fact that the hydrogen (fuel) is being generated from the onsite water using renewable energy (solar). The accumulated hydrogen is then stored and used to generate electricity whenever it is needed. The system currently has the capacity to supply power for up to eight hours.

Over the past six months, the fuel cell has been called upon six times to provide back-up power. These mains power outages have range from as short as 12 minutes to over seven hours. Each time the fuel cell has cut in to seamlessly keep our customers connected...

More: http://exchange.telstra.com.au/2015/01/20/solar-energy-in-a-bottle/

Telstra Corporation Limited (known as Telstra) is Australia's largest telecommunications and media company which builds and operates telecommunications networks and markets voice, mobile, internet access, pay television and other entertainment products and services.

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Related: Telstra tests solar fuel cell for backup power

Telstra is trialling the use of hydrogen-based backup power to keep exchange sites up and running in the event of a mains power outage...

..."This approach is greener and more reliable, we are expecting a return on investment in the 3-4 year window."
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/399531,telstra-tests-solar-fuel-cell-for-back-up-power.aspx

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What Obama Meant By “Converting Sunlight into Liquid Fuel”

Here’s what the president was talking about when he referred to solar liquid fuels in the State of the Union address last night.

Barack Obama wants to convert sunlight into liquid fuel. It was a passing reference in the State of the Union address last night (he highlighted the same technology in his 2011 address). If scientists can figure out how to do this, he said, it could “unleash new jobs.”

Use solar panels to charge batteries or make hydrogen for fuel cells.
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/534411/what-obama-meant-by-converting-sunlight-into-liquid-fuel/

[2naSalit]

1. Point source power generation is a good way to go. n/t