A new next-generation solar hydrogen station is now fueling Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell vehicles at the company’s Los Angeles-based Honda R&D Americas campus. While in fleet use at present, the station is designed to ultimately be used as a garage-mounted home refueling appliance, producing 0.5 kg of hydrogen during an eight hour overnight fill to support daily commuting in a fuel cell vehicle.
The system’s many other advantages include refilling without the requirement for on-site hydrogen storage and the ability to work with the so-called ‘Smart Grid’ that’s said to be coming in future years. During the day when energy demands are at their peak, the solar hydrogen station can export renewable electricity to the grid, contributing to energy diversity and providing an economic advantage to a homeowner as well.
Honda’s FCX Clarity offers an EPA-estimated driving range of 240 miles. It’s fast-fill capable, which means that five minute hydrogen refills are possible to enable longer trips, but only at appropriate public fast-fill stations in the future. Honda is quick to point out that convenient overnight refueling at home via a solar slow-fill system and Smart Grid integration will cover most driving needs.
The ultimate aim of all this? Combining a fuel cell electric vehicle with a solar hydrogen station can work toward establishing a hydrogen society based on renewable energy, which Honda points out will reduce CO2 emissions and lead to energy sustainability
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