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Very interesting doc on Discovery / Discovery Science channel on Austar tonight just as I was getting ready for work. A guy in the states has a LOT of solar panels on his roof, they provide ad-hoc supply of energy for electrical devices in his house PLUS run his own conversion unit which produces hydrogen from tap water.
He runs the water through a multi stage purifying / reverse osmosis filter process, then runs this through a fairly flash electrolysis unit, separates the hydrogen out which is stored in 10 large tanks on his property, total capacity approx 19,000 litres.
He says this runs his entire property - heating, electricity generation when sun not available, and fuels his self modified hydrogen powered car - for an entire year. Total setup cost around $500,000 US. He now also makes hydrogen cars for others as a part time business.
So it possible and viable to implement this as a total system powered purely from solar energy (depending on your bank balance - there's plenty of people now who own home/land packages worth way more than $500k) . Obviously the cost is still damn high, but to see an entire years supply of fuel for everything sitting parked in 10 gas cylinders was pretty amazing!
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