TURN SUN AND WIND INTO NATURAL GAS?

Methane Could Be Storage Solution for Solar and Wind Power
Bryan Nelson, June 4, 2009 (Cleantechnica via Reuters)

"…[S]cientists have discovered a microbe that can efficiently convert direct electrical current into methane…This discovery opens the door for generating methane from [New Energies like solar and wind energies];…the energy could then be stored as fuel for later use…But is storing renewable energy in the form of a greenhouse gas like methane a solution, or just another problem?

"… Methanobacterium palustre… can biochemically synthesize methane using electrons directly from current in combination with hydrogen gas. Most significantly, it appears to transform the energy at 80% efficiency…Storing [New Energy] in large capacitors and batteries offered the most practical solution, since converting the energy into a fuel like hydrogen made it difficult to compress and store. But that problem doesn't exist for methane, which is the main component for natural gas. Natural gas is already carried around the world in pipelines, and it's used in conventional engines."

Pilot projects with solar energy stored as heat are under way. It is an emissions-free form of storage, probably more expensive than using bacteria to build but less costly than the costs of global climate change. (click to enlarge)

"…[But] utilizing this process may overlook some of the bigger reasons for switching to renewable energy. Specifically, if the primary benefit for using wind and solar energy is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, then wouldn't converting that energy into methane miss the point?"

Pilot projects with wind energy stored as compressed air will soon get under way. It is an emissions-free form of storage, probably more expensive than using bacteria to build but less costly than the costs of global climate change. (click to enlarge)

"Yes and no…[C]ompared to other hydrocarbons, burning methane produces less carbon dioxide for each unit of heat released…[I]f the choice is between storing excess wind or solar energy as methane or having to use traditional, dirtier fuels like gas or coal to pick up the leftover energy burden, then converting clean energy into methane- while perhaps not the ideal solution- is still a significant step forward.

"More research needs to be conducted to determine the exact molecular mechanism of the biochemical process, and practical means for employing the technology have yet to be worked out. But the exciting discovery does shed some creative light on the potential for renewable sources to supply all of our energy needs."