THE ENERGY REVOLUTION IN THE 21 st CENTURY: THE CHANGE FROM THE FOSSIL ECONOMY TO THE SOLAR-HYDROGEN ECONOMY

Abstract

The current economy is dependent on fossil fuels such as oil, gas, coal which are integral toindustry, transport and every day life. The use offossil fuels creates global warming, melting theArctic ice cap, degradation of forests, agricultural, environmental damage, such as air pollution,oil spills, human health and mortality.Nuclear fission is not energy option for the 21" century due to the safety and nuclear wasteproblems, security from terriorists, limited reserve of uranium mining.The Solar Hydrogen- hydrogen produced from water and solar energy- is the choice ofenergy option for the 21" century. A solar hydrogen economy is proposed to solve the ill effectsof using hydrocarbon fuels in transportation and other end-use applications where the carbon isr1eased to the atmosphere. In the Solar Hydrogen Economy, the sun generates electricity by solarcells or solar photoelectrochemical cells, hydrogen can be obtained electrolytically (waterelectrolysis) or photoelectrochemically (solar photoelectrochemical splitting of water). Thehydrogen would be utilized either by direct combustion in internal combustion engines or as fuelin proton exchange membrane fuel cells, which will become the best source of energy in the21th century.In the report a review is given for the role of catalysis and new materials science in theEnergy Revolution in the 21 ,I century: the change from the Fossil Economy to the HydrogenEconomy.