| Category | EGCH | P06 | Solar Hydrogen Home |
| Abstract | The purpose of this experiment is to determine if it is possible to |
| adequately fulfill the power needs of a home in Michigan through the |
| use of a solar powered fuel cell. It has been proven that this is possible |
| in places with more sun exposure, but never in Michigan. |
| My project is composed of two major parts. The first part is running |
| multiple, five minute trials at different times of day and in different |
| conditions. It is important to note that the act of splitting the water into |
| hydrogen and oxygen is done because hydrogen is a more effective |
| way to store energy than batteries. It has the highest energy density of |
| any gas or liquid fuel. The idea behind this experiment is that during the |
| summer months, where there is more sun exposure, any electricity that |
| was not used by the house could be used to break down water, storing |
| the energy as hydrogen. During winter or at night, when little solar |
| energy is being produced, the hydrogen would go through the fuel cell, |
| recombining to make water and electricity. |
| The second part of my project is to determine if the amount of energy |
| produced is sufficient to power a home twenty-four-seven three-sixty- |
| five. We can use our electricity bill to determine our monthly average |
| usage. I will use the mean of my measurements with measurements |
| simulated as summer. |
| Bibliography | https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hydrogen- |
| house/https://www.technologyreview.com/s/518516/an-inexpensive-fuel- |
| cell-generator/ |