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A simple, inexpensive, highly efficient process

-- Amanda Meade -- 11/03/2008

"Sunlight has the greatest potential of any power source to solve the world's energy problems. In one hour, enough sunlight strikes the Earth to provide the entire planet's energy needs for one year."

The problem has always been how to store all that energy. Until now. Two MIT scientists have finally figured out how to use a system that mimics photosynthesis.

From MIT News:

"Inspired by the photosynthesis performed by plants, Daniel Nocera and Matthew Kanan, a postdoctoral fellow in Nocera's lab, have developed an unprecedented process that will allow the sun's energy to be used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. Later, the oxygen and hydrogen may be recombined inside a fuel cell, creating carbon-free electricity to power your house or your electric car, day or night."

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2008/oxygen-0731.html

This paves the way for large scale solar use by allowing traditional photovoltaic use during the day, and then harnessing the excess solar energy into a fuel cell during the night. Nocera said this may end the need for electric wire from a central source within 10 years.