| Low Cost Energy from our Sun |  |
The sun sends us more than enough energy to power everything on earth, thousands of times more, but systems that harness the sun’s energy by converting it into electricity have been expensive, resulting in high electricity costs. Ergenics is developing a metal hydride heat engine that converts solar hot water into electricity for an estimated cost of less than 1¢ per kilowatt hour, much less than what we are paying for electricity today. Plus, the electricity is created without any pollution.
The same hydride heat engine will operate on other low grade heat from renewable resources, such as geothermal, ocean thermal and industrial waste heat. Ergenics' VP of Research and Development, Mark Golben, demonstrates the technology:
Reversible Metal Hydride Alloys
Reversible metal hydride alloys are most often associated with low pressure, solid state, high density storage of hydrogen for use as a fuel. Ergenics has supplied thousands of metal hydride hydrogen storage systems used to power fuel cells and internal combustion engines.
Of greater benefit is harnessing the gas-metal reaction inside hermetically sealed systems, where hydrogen is used as a working fluid rather than a fuel. The company's Hy-Stor® Segmented Hydride Battery provides unsurpassed cycle life in a high power package, in which the reactants are isolated for maximum safety.
Ergenics patented ring manifold hydride heat heat exchangers enable cost effective air conditioning and refrigeration systems powered by heat, rather than electricity. The Company's hydride heat exchangers also economically convert low grade thermal energy into mechanical motion (or "work"), to open and close valves, pump water from the ground and make electricity. The Solar Powered Electric Generator can begin to solve the world’s energy problems today, with clean, renewable, sustainable and inexpensive electricity generation.
