Hydrogen Fuel Cells Are Becoming Too Big to Ignore

[longship]

1. As long as there is a clean energy source to generate the hydrogen.

Because everybody knows two things about hydrogen. (NOT everybody!)

1. Hydrogen is not an energy source on Earth because there are no natural sources of molecular hydrogen, I.E., H2.

2. Generating molecular hydrogen always takes more energy than is generated by burning the generated hydrogen. ALWAYS! Google Laws of Thermodynamics for details.

So if, for example, you generate hydrogen by electrolysis using power from a coal-fired power plant, you are shooting your self in the foot.

On the other hand if you are doing the same from a solar panel power plant to bridge power through night when the Sun is below the horizon, that would be good policy.

Hydrogen can at best be characterized as an energy storage medium, not a source itself. Furthermore, it is not even sure that is the most efficient of storage mediums, although it might be. The trouble is storing the stuff. Hydrogen is really, really difficult to store.

We just are no way close to a hydrogen economy. I doubt such a thing will ever exist. Generating molecular hydrogen from water takes a whole lot of energy. What other source on Earth has more hydrogen than water?

Those advocating hydrogen power have to answer these issues.

Nevertheless, it is good that some are doing the research because I am all for the "all of the above" approach. That is until it dips into utter woo woo (which this obviously is not).

Regarding hydrogen one must always ask, where is the hydrogen coming from?