Frost & Sullivan: Hydrogen Unlikely to be 21st Century's Chief Alternative Energy Source
-- Storage problems and poor energy conversion efficiency of hydrogen make it a weak option for an energy source
MOUNTAIN VIEW, California, April 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Countries across the globe are desperately looking for alternate sources of power that are dense enough to accommodate consumption needs, while preserving the global ecosystem. Amongst the contenders for mainstream alternative energy production is hydrogen – an energy carrier which increasingly appears to be an unlikely candidate.
"The process to extract hydrogen from water – electrolysis – is a net-loss equation that consumes more energy than the hydrogen it extracts can generate," said Frost & Sullivan Energy & Environmental Research Analyst Pramod Dibble. "It is very difficult to store hydrogen, as it leaks out from almost any containment vessel. Although compressed hydrogen leaks much less than at atmospheric pressure, the act of compression requires about 2 percent of the useable energy in the hydrogen, which is already less by volume than fossil fuel sources."
For complimentary access to more information on this research, please visit: http://bit.ly/1kk70QY.
The low energy conversion efficiency also weakens the case for hydrogen as a commercial fuel. Hydrogen requires one-too-many conversions to be as efficient as electricity (water to hydrogen to electricity), as opposed to a simple fuel to electricity conversion.
As battery technologies improve in quality and decrease in price, the viability of hydrogen as an energy carrier falls further. It would be both easier and cheaper to store energy as electricity in a battery than hydrogen in a compressed tank.
"All these reasons together constrain the use of hydrogen to niche applications such as a liquid in rocket fuel," said Pramod. "Unless there is a dramatic scientific breakthrough, hydrogen will remain an ill-suited alternative energy source in the 21st century."
Hydrogen as a Commercial Fuel is part of the Energy & Power (http://www.energy.frost.com) Growth Partnership Service program. Frost & Sullivan's related studies include: Grid-scale Energy Storage in Europe—Lessons from Global Pilot Projects, Small-scale Distributed Generation Opportunities from Renewable Energy, Analysis and Outlook of the Global Biofuels Industry, and The Future of Building Energy Management Solutions. All studies included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants.
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants.
Our "Growth Partnership" supports clients by addressing these opportunities and incorporating two key elements driving visionary innovation: The Integrated Value Proposition and The Partnership Infrastructure.
- The Integrated Value Proposition provides support to our clients throughout all phases of their journey to visionary innovation including: research, analysis, strategy, vision, innovation and implementation.
- The Partnership Infrastructure is entirely unique as it constructs the foundation upon which visionary innovation becomes possible. This includes our 360 degree research, comprehensive industry coverage, career best practices as well as our global footprint of more than 40 offices.
For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Is your organization prepared for the next profound wave of industry convergence, disruptive technologies, increasing competitive intensity, Mega Trends, breakthrough best practices, changing customer dynamics and emerging economies?
Contact Us: Start the discussion
Subscribe: Newsletter on "the next big thing"
Register: Gain access to visionary innovation
Contact:
Liz Clark
Corporate Communications – North America
P: +1-210-477-8483
E: liz.clark@frost.com
Share this article