The Hopewell Project
Encyclopedia
The Hopewell Project is a solar-powered residence in North America
that generates hydrogen
for subsequent reconversion into electricity
, meeting all of the home's power needs, including heating and cooling, through renewable solar energy. The solar/hydrogen-powered home is located in rural Hopewell, New Jersey
, cost $500,000 and was dedicated on October 20, 2006.
The Solar-Hydrogen Residence that has been set up and is operation in Hopewell, New Jersey combines photovoltaic solar, electrolyzer, fuel cell, computer software, and other technologies that have been carefully selected to work in concert to make the renewable energy installation 100% reliant on renewable energy sources for the home's energy needs, negating the need for utility delivered non-renewable energy sources.
The New Jersey project, which opened in October 2006 after four years of planning and building, cost around $500,000, some $225,000 of which was provided by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
. The project also got equipment and expertise from a number of commercial sponsors including Exide, which donated some $50,000 worth of batteries, and Swagelok
, an Ohio company that provided stainless steel
piping costing around $28,000. Michael Strizki, the project promoter, contributed about $100,000 of his own money.
In the summer, the solar panels generate 60% more electricity than the super-insulated house needs. The excess is stored in the form of hydrogen which is used in the winter--when the solar panels can't meet all the domestic demand--to make electricity in the fuel cell.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
that generates hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
for subsequent reconversion into electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
, meeting all of the home's power needs, including heating and cooling, through renewable solar energy. The solar/hydrogen-powered home is located in rural Hopewell, New Jersey
Hopewell, New Jersey
Hopewell is a Borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,922.Hopewell was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 14, 1891, from portions of Hopewell Township, based on the results of a...
, cost $500,000 and was dedicated on October 20, 2006.
Project overview
The Hopewell Project is an organization of private citizens advocating the adoption of renewable energy technologies. The Hopewell Project does not advocate a particular renewable energy technology.The Solar-Hydrogen Residence that has been set up and is operation in Hopewell, New Jersey combines photovoltaic solar, electrolyzer, fuel cell, computer software, and other technologies that have been carefully selected to work in concert to make the renewable energy installation 100% reliant on renewable energy sources for the home's energy needs, negating the need for utility delivered non-renewable energy sources.
The New Jersey project, which opened in October 2006 after four years of planning and building, cost around $500,000, some $225,000 of which was provided by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
New Jersey Board of Public Utilities
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities is a regulatory authority in New Jersey charged with the responsibility of seeing that "safe, adequate, and proper utility services are provided at reasonable rates for customers in New Jersey." The NJBPU regulates natural gas, electricity, water,...
. The project also got equipment and expertise from a number of commercial sponsors including Exide, which donated some $50,000 worth of batteries, and Swagelok
Swagelok
Swagelok is a privately held international company, focusing on the manufacture and sale of gas and fluid systems components, such as tube fittings, valves, tubing, and gauges. It was founded in 1947 by Fred A. Lennon in Solon, Ohio, where its headquarters remain...
, an Ohio company that provided stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
piping costing around $28,000. Michael Strizki, the project promoter, contributed about $100,000 of his own money.
In the summer, the solar panels generate 60% more electricity than the super-insulated house needs. The excess is stored in the form of hydrogen which is used in the winter--when the solar panels can't meet all the domestic demand--to make electricity in the fuel cell.
Future developments
The Hopewell Project is currently developing a complete solar-hydrogen-fuel cell turnkey system that could be installed on an average home. The target is to bring the system to market by 2008, for the approximate price of a mid-range automobile (considerably lower than the price for the initial system).External links
- The Hopewell Project - official website
- The project explained