One of the most interesting challenges to achieving carbon neutral electricity generation is harnessing the intermittent generation of solar and wind. Right now, many firms, households, and utilities rely on lithium ion batteries to store energy for times when generation is low. What if there were another solution for energy storage that produced carbon neutral electricity? That solution might be hydrogen fuel. The benefits of hydrogen fuel for storing fuel are many. Hydrogen fuel can be generated by using existing hydrocarbon fuels, like excess methane from natural gas wells or landfills, or by using electrolysis to split water molecules. The fuel produced from these procedures burns extremely cleanly, producing essentially just water vapor and heat.

While hydrogen fuel on its own has not caught on in the mainstream, it has the opportunity to synergize well with existing green energy generation. Solar and wind systems often produce more power than the grid needs when they are in use. Without a reliable way to store this excess power, municipalities and consumers cannot harness it.

Hydrogen fuel production taps into this unused power to generate fuel that can be burned when production cannot match demand. Essentially, when solar and wind power systems create more energy than consumers are using, the extra energy would be rerouted to hydrogen fuel production. The hydrogen fuel could then be stored on its own and burned whenever it's needed, releasing only a small amount of heat water vapor.

The potential to harness the abundance of power that renewable energy sources produce during their peak hours is integral to offsetting fossil fuel use. In order to slow climate change, fossil fuels need to be removed from the power generation, transportation, and industrial sectors, with the processes they fuel becoming electrified. In order to make renewable energy the default for that electricity production, storage capacity must grow. Hydrogen fuel can provide that capacity, storing the electrical energy from wind and photovoltaic systems.

Some cities and countries are already developing the infrastructure for hydrogen. New York City is testing out a hydrogen fuel storage system to help decarbonize its grid by harnessing hydropower. This project can help generate clean electricity for the largest city in the United States, providing a blueprint for adoption elsewhere. In Tokyo as well, hydrogen has begun to play a larger role. Using hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in their public transit fleet, the Japanese capital is also setting a precedent for how renewables can fuel not just sustainable electricity generation, but transportation as well.

With all the new solar and wind that has started to come online in recent years, a suitable supplement to lithium ion battery storage has become even more important. Working in tandem with traditional battery technologies, the conversion of excess electricity to hydrogen during peak hours can provide long-lasting and reliable electricity from renewable sources even when they are not producing electricity. This storage solution could help expand the appetite for new solar installations that can conveniently store energy for the future.