“In Europe there is enough sun everywhere to make our hydrogen panel work,” says Martens in Knack. In this way, the panel can contribute to energy independence: it is small-scale, modular and ideal for decentralised production. ” What is really unique is that each panel can function autonomously because all functions are built in. Water vapour and sun, that’s all you need. You could describe the process as artificial photosynthesis.”
Martens and postdocs Tom Bosserez and Jan Rongé are now working on industrial production of the panels, which will be produced on a large scale from 2026 by Solhyd, a spin-off from the University of Leuven. The invention was nominated for last week’s finals of the prestigious European Inventor Award 2022 by the European Patent Office (EPO).
Read the full article in Knack (Dutch language) or see the Solhyd website for more information.
Image: EPO/YouTube
