Solar Driven Hydrogen Fuel Cell Demonstration Project
On the roof of Ralph Rapson Hall, three 24-panel arrays of photovoltaic solar panels provide electricity to the building. The 15 kW system was formerly on the Science Museum in St. Paul and was moved and reinstalled at the University by Xcel Energy.
A new project is underway in which the energy from the PV collectors will be used to power an electrolyzer that separates water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is used to power a fuel cell that generates electricity. One advantage of such a system is that by converting solar energy to hydrogen, it can be stored and used when needed. The generation of electricity in this manner produces no carbon emissions or air pollutants. This project is jointly sponsored by Xcel Energy and the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance.
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