Tesla Powerwall Rival Seeks to Bring Hydrogen Into Your Home
It’s about the size of Tesla Inc.’s Powerwall, but can store up to three times as much energy over a longer period.
That’s the promise of a new hydrogen-based energy-storage system for homes and businesses being developed by Australian startup Lavo Hydrogen Technology Ltd. The technology, developed with scientists at the University of New South Wales, uses power from rooftop solar panels to produce hydrogen from water by electrolysis. The gas is stored in a metal hydride container and converted back into electricity when needed using a fuel cell.
Australia’s world-beating rooftop-solar take-up rates make it an ideal early market, said Lavo Chief Executive Officer Alan Yu. The unit will go on sale from November, with installations starting in June 2021, subject to final approvals. The company plans to sell 10,000 units a year by 2022.
“Our mission is to try and change the way people live with energy,” Yu said in a phone interview.
Companies and governments are plowing billions of dollars into hydrogen as a potential cleaner alternative to fossil fuels such as natural gas. Still, commercial application of the fuel for use in heavy transportation and industrial processes such as steel-making is still seen as several years away. Read More…
