Energy Department to Provide $75 Million for ‘Fuels from Sunlight’ Hub

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://energy.gov/articles/energy-department-provide-75-million-fuels-sunlight-hub

[font face=Serif][font size=5]Energy Department to Provide $75 Million for ‘Fuels from Sunlight’ Hub[/font]

April 28, 2015 - 4:46pm

[font size=4]Center Aims to Produce Liquid Transportation Fuels from Sunlight[/font]

[font size=3]WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Energy today announced $75 million in funding to renew the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP), a DOE Energy Innovation Hub originally established in 2010 with the goal of harnessing solar energy for the production of fuel. JCAP researchers are focused on achieving the major scientific breakthroughs needed to produce liquid transportation fuels from a combination of sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, using artificial photosynthesis.

While the scientific challenges of producing such fuels are considerable, JCAP will capitalize on state-of-the-art capabilities developed during its initial five years of research, including sophisticated characterization tools and unique automated high-throughput experimentation that can quickly make and screen large libraries of materials to identify components for artificial photosynthesis systems.

“Basic scientific research supported by the Department of Energy is crucial to providing the foundation for innovative technologies and later-stage research to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change,” said Under Secretary for Science and Energy Lynn Orr. “JCAP’s work to produce fuels from sunlight and carbon dioxide holds the promise of a potentially revolutionary technology that would put America on the path to a low-carbon economy.”

…

JCAP is one of several Energy Innovation Hubs established by the Department of Energy beginning in 2010. The Energy Innovation Hubs are major integrated research centers, drawing together researchers from multiple institutions and varied technical backgrounds. They are modeled after the strong scientific management approaches typified by the Manhattan Project, the Lincoln Lab at MIT, which developed radar, AT&T’s Bell Laboratories, which developed the transistor, as well as the successful DOE Bioenergy Research Centers established during the Bush Administration to pioneer advanced techniques in biotechnology, including biofuels.

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[NYC_SKP]

1. I love research, I love solar, but I worry a little when they try to perpetuate the "fuels" economy.

I am thinking "why not just move to an all-electric energy mode?"

Well, fuels are about sales, especially liquid fuels, so anything we can do to turn otherwise free and easy solar energy into something that the existing fossil fuels industries can use and sell is a good thing, for them.

Just like the whole hydrogen gimmick.

Color me wary about these sorts of things.

[OKIsItJustMe]

2. Liquid fuels work really well as energy carriers

Batteries have inherent advantages and disadvantages.

Why did the Model T beat out the electric car a century ago? (Reviewing the reasons why can be illuminating.)

[NYC_SKP]

3. I recently wrote an article on the history of EVs and, yes, it was illuminating.

EVs outselling ICEs for a period of time, EV taxi fleets in NYC, and Porsche's hybrid electric.

Good times!

[OKIsItJustMe]

5. I would argue that the primary reasons the Model T took over remain valid

I could be wrong.

[NYC_SKP]

6. For the conditions of the time, it was an obvious choice.

And for decades thereafter, the benefits of a high energy-density portable liquid fuel absence of an electric power infrastructure being difficult to overcome.

Heck, even I drove several infernal combustion engine cars over the years, dirty and hot and needing constant maintenance or repair.

My first purchase, a heavy duty Ford truck w/o radio, AC, or carpet and a International Harvester diesel engine, was quite reliable and efficient.

[kristopher]

4. What do we operate the agricultural, heavy transport and heavy equipment sectors with?

Even though most write-ups on hydrogen and biofuels are predicated on a false, grandiose view of their role, it doesn't mean that there is no role for them. We need research.

[OKIsItJustMe]

7. And, at what point does a vehicle become “heavy equipment?”

Last edited Fri May 1, 2015, 11:23 PM - Edit history (1)

e.g. Is an SUV “heavy equipment?”

“The market” will sort these things out.

As I’ve said for some time, I think battery-power makes the most sense for small, short-haul vehicles (i.e. “commuter vehicles.”) There, the battery pack can remain relatively small.

I think that Tesla’s “Model S” is pushing the envelope.