Home solar power lines generate electricity at sunrise and must be stored when the sun goes down. People usually work with lithium battery systems. One example is Tesla’s Powerwall 2. Lavo, an Australian company, has created a box that can store excess energy such as hydrogen. The Lavo Green Energy Storage System is 1,680 x 1,240 x 400 mm (66 x 49 x 15.7 inches) in size and 324 kilograms in weight (714 pounds).
It is linked to a solar inverter and mains water (via a purification unit) to release water by electrolyzing the water, releasing oxygen, and storing the hydrogen in a metal water bath’ at 30 bar or 435 psi. It can store up to three times the kilowatt-hour capacity of Power’s current Powerwall 2, which is enough to power a typical home for two days. It also incorporates a small 5-kWh lithium intermediate battery for instant response and uses a fuel cell to deliver energy to the home when power is required.
There is a phone app for Wi-Fi connectivity and monitoring, and businesses with high power needs can set up a better power plant and compete more effectively. At AU $ 34,750 (US $ 26,900), it is more expensive than three Powerwalls in Australia.
Its price is expected to fall to AU $ 29,450 (US $ 22,800) in the fourth quarter of 2022, and Lavo promises that it will be available globally. What better way to do it than with a battery? Lavo claims that if lithium batteries last up to 15 years, they will outlast conventional battery systems by up to 30 years. There are also no hazardous chemicals to dispose of. According to the company, the Lavo system is more compact than the battery storage capacity. As a result, with Lavo leaks on the rise and a small chance of a fire, the safety sector must be carefully discussed.
Although hydrogen is said to be less harmful than other conventional fuels like gasoline or natural gas, further research is required. Batteries, on the other hand, have more than 90% of their energy stored when stored with minimal power loss. However, because the process of producing hydrogen using proton exchange membranes is only about 80% efficient, 20% of the energy can be lost right away.
Although hydrogen is considered to be less toxic than other traditional fuels like gasoline or natural gas, further research is required. Batteries, on the other hand, have more than 90% of their energy stored when stored with minimum power loss. However, because the process of creating hydrogen using proton exchange membranes is only around 80% effective, 20% of the energy can be lost right away.
The process of transforming hydrogen into energy via the fuel cell, on the other hand, will lose around half of the stored energy. Not only does it require more energy to recharge, but recovering energy from a 40-kWh hydrogen energy storage system is identical to recovering energy from a 20-kWh system. Furthermore, the system’s maximum continuous output power is 5 kW, which is anticipated to limit the fuel cell’s passage. Externally, there are air conditioning systems that can use more than 7 kW, thus the 5 kW continuous power output will be a concern. However, hydrogen’s presence in the energy sector is still in its early stages.