Dec 18 2014
HyperSolar, Inc., the developer of a breakthrough technology to produce renewable hydrogen using sunlight and water, announced today that it has extended its sponsored research agreement with the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) through December 31, 2015, as the Company continues its pursuit of its hydrogen production technology intended to meet the internationally growing demand for hydrogen fuel.
The announcement comes on the heels of a recent technological breakthrough, as the Company reported it has exceeded the 1.23 volts threshold required for artificial photosynthesis to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. HyperSolar's technology, which achieved 1.25 volts, could potentially be used to produce hydrogen at the point of use. While 1.23 volts is the theoretical minimum needed to split water molecules, HyperSolar anticipates requiring 1.5 volts or more to do so effectively in real world systems.
The University of California, Santa Barbara, has been working closely with HyperSolar for nearly three years in developing this breakthrough technology. Recently, the University of Iowa was added to the research and development team, giving HyperSolar the support of two leading universities as it continues its pursuit of commercially viable renewable hydrogen. As the technology progresses, the University of Iowa team will continue to focus on increasing the voltage of the technology, while the UCSB team will focus more on the technology's production aspects and cost models for scaled up systems.
"We are pleased to continue our relationship with the scientific team at UCSB, who has proven to be instrumental in leading our R&D efforts," said Tim Young, CEO of HyperSolar. "Coupled with the efforts from the University of Iowa group, we are thrilled to have two exceptional universities focused on advancing our technology toward the goal of commercialization. 2014 has been such an important year for the hydrogen fuel industry, as its potential for commercial, industrial, and consumer-level applications has come into much greater focus. We believe that our technology will play a critical role within hydrogen fuel infrastructure for the future, providing cost-efficient, renewable hydrogen at or near the point of distribution."