From solar energy to green mobility

Abstract

Among the renewable energy sources (RES), solar energy is unmatched in its magnitude and availability as well as scalable to any future energy demand. In the other hand, the high power density, ease of transportation and storage and many years of development of internal combustion engine technologies have put liquid hydrocarbon fuels at a privileged position in our transportation and energy mix. In this framework, the direct use of the so-called “solar fuels”, i.e. synthetic liquid fuels produced via the use of solar energy and, ideally, non-fossil raw materials, can contribute to “Green Mobility”, especially to the Fuel-cell- and Hydrogen-powered one. The talk will present the current state-of-the art of such efforts, relevant to the use of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) systems – i.e. special mirror assemblies that track the sun and concentrate its radiation, converting thus solar energy to medium- to high-temperature heat – focusing on commonalities in materials requirements and reactor concepts among several solar energy conversion, storage and transformation-related processes.