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Does a battery with low cycle efficiency actually beat hydrogen for seasonal storage? The major problem with hydrogen is the fuel cell efficiency. Electrolysis
by scythe 3y ago
Does a battery with low cycle efficiency actually beat hydrogen for seasonal storage?
The major problem with hydrogen is the fuel cell efficiency. Electrolysis is above 80%, but fuel cells are barely at 60% and it gets lower when you try to make the design more practical (lower temperature, less platinum). So batteries just have to hit 50% to compete. But that 50% includes both inherent cycle efficiency and self-discharge and Form Energy isn't putting their numbers up front, as far as I can see.
More importantly, seasonal storage is heavily concerned with heating, and the conversion of hydrogen to heat is a different matter. The batteries have heat pumps going for them, but you can make a gas-powered heat pump too. So rather than the fuel cell efficiency you look at the CoP difference between electric and gas heat pumps. The latter have received little attention, but could see a surge of interest if green hydrogen becomes more popular (and easier to transport). But here we exhaust my understanding of the situation.
- panick21_ 3y agoEfficiency is just one of many issues for hydrogen. Storage is another issue. How fast you can dispatch convert in either direction. I don't think seasonal storage will ever be thing. Having storage for a few days or weeks is practical. Non of the technologies we are talking about will work for seasonal.