Operation of Next Generation Solar Hydrogen Station by Honda
Designed to function as single integrated unit to fit in the user’s garage, Honada’s next new solar hydrogen station went on operation at Los Angeles based station to re-fuel Honda Fuel Cell electric vehicle. The new reduced size system is capable of producing enough hydrogen (0.5kg) through 8 hour overnight fill for daily commuting based on 10,000 miles per year for a fuel cell electric vehicle.
Through creation of a new high differential pressure electrolyzer, the company was able to eliminate the compressor entirely which is industry’s first for a home use system. Furthermore, this innovation has reduced the size of other key components resulting in development of the world’s most compact system, while improving on system efficiency by more than 25% in comparison to the previous model. The system is compatible with a “Smart Grid” energy system, the Honda Solar Hydrogen Station would allow users to fill their vehicle overnight without the requirement of hydrogen storage, resulting in reducing CO2 emissions through use of less expensive off-peak electrical power. The new system is capable of exporting renewable electricity to the grid during daytime peak power times, providing a cost benefit to the user , while remaining energy neutral. The new system is designed for a simple and user friendly operation which would allow user to easily lift and remove the fuel hose, with no hose coiling when the hose is returned to the dispenser unit. The new system will employ the same 48 panel, 6.0kW solar array that powered the previous system. The array is made of thin film solar cells made of copper, indium, gallium and selenium (CIGS) developed by Honda Soltec Co.
