Is Green Hydrogen the Solution to Better Air Quality?
Hydrogen has long been discussed as a clean fuel solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change. Fossil fuels emit harmful pollutants into the air, whereas hydrogen emits no harmful pollutants, only H2O and warm air. But there is a catch: hydrogen is typically produced using fossil fuels, possibly counteracting the benefits of hydrogen by creating air pollution through an energy-intensive production process.
Here’s where green hydrogen comes to the rescue. To be considered “green hydrogen,” the hydrogen is produced using electricity from a renewable source, such as solar, to split water molecules, H20, to make hydrogen gas. This method represents a significant advancement in sustainable energy, ensuring the entire process is free from greenhouse gas emissions, creating a truly clean fuel.
So what are the benefits of green hydrogen?
It is a versatile energy carrier that can be used in various applications, including transportation, industrial processes and power generation. Green hydrogen, being a clean fuel, contributes significantly to reducing carbon emissions and mitigating climate change. It also offers energy storage solutions, which is crucial for managing the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources.
Sesame Solar Case Study in Green Hydrogen
Following through on its mission to decarbonize disaster response and off-grid power, Sesame Solar integrates green hydrogen systems into its Renewable Mobile Nanogrids as backup power to the primary solar power to provide longer duration Clean Mobile Power. This integration addresses one of the key challenges in renewable energy systems: reliability and continuity of power supply, especially when conditions for solar power aren’t ideal.
So how does it operate? The Lithium Ferro Phosphate battery systems, ranging from 15 to 150 kWh inside Sesame’s Nanogrids, store the power produced by solar arrays ranging from 3-10 kW depending on the size of the Mobile Nanogrid. The stored power is managed by inverters ranging from 4-30 kW to deliver power depending on the load and duration required. Hydrogen gas is then produced onboard Sesame’s Nanogrids using electrolyzers powered by the battery bank. The hydrogen is dried to 99.99% purity.
The green hydrogen gas is stored in solid-state storage tanks on the outside of the Nanogrid at low pressure, making it safe to transport. When the batteries are at 35% capacity, the onboard hydrogen fuel cell starts charging the batteries using the stored, green hydrogen gas. When the batteries are recharged, the hydrogen fuel cell shuts off. If more stored hydrogen is needed, Electrolysis can be sequenced to produce hydrogen gas until the storage tanks are full. This system provides a clean energy loop.
Sesame’s novel integration of green hydrogen for backup power was first to market in the renewable energy sector. By utilizing innovative, fossil-fuel-free technology to help communities become more climate resilient, Sesame Solar is not only enhancing the efficiency and reliability of its Nanogrids but also contributing to a greener, more sustainable future.
