Electrolysis and Energy Production

What if we could turn water into fuel for electric cars or stored energy to balance the electric grid? Electrolysis makes that possible. It’s a process that’s been around for centuries, but is gaining more attention from researchers and home energy companies as we search for cleaner, more sustainable ways to store and deliver energy.

While it’s not magic, it does create fuel whose only byproduct is fresh oxygen—just like trees. How can that be? Below we look at everything you need to know about electrolysis, including what it is and what the process entails.

What Is Electrolysis? 

Electrolysis is the process of using an electric current to cause a chemical change in a substance, such as a liquid or metal.

Electrolysis can be used to purify metals or extract them from a solution or break down substances into their individual components. For example, a sodium chloride solution can be turned into chlorine gas and sodium hydroxide, while the electrolysis of water produces hydrogen gas and oxygen.

How Does Electrolysis Work? 

Electrolysis needs two electrodes, one with a positive charge and one with a negative charge, placed in a liquid that conducts electricity. When electricity flows through the liquid, the charged particles move toward the opposite electrode. That movement triggers a chemical reaction that breaks the substance in the liquid into basic parts, like hydrogen and oxygen.

For electrolysis to be effective, the substance must be able to conduct electricity, and it must be in liquid or molten form so that the ions can move freely.

Electrolysis and Renewable Energy

Electrolysis plays a key role in the shift toward cleaner energy. To see why, let’s take a closer look at what it produces and how that output supports renewable energy goals.

Hydrogen Production

When electrolysis is used to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen, the hydrogen can be used as a fuel source in electric cars and other energy storage devices. This results in reduced carbon emissions and improved energy efficiency.

If electrolysis is powered by renewable energy sources like wind or solar power, it can produce hydrogen fuel without the need for fossil fuels. Vehicles that run on hydrogen fuel cells don’t produce any tailpipe emissions other than water vapor.

Green Energy

Currently, the power grid is still too reliant on fossil fuels to make electrolysis viable as a wide-scale solution. If the electricity used to produce hydrogen comes from natural gas or coal, then it isn’t so green after all.

Plus, the cost of using electrolysis to produce hydrogen fuel is higher than the cost of many other green energy alternatives.

Still, there’s plenty of reason to be hopeful. As solar and wind power become more affordable and clean hydrogen tech keeps improving, we’re getting closer to making green hydrogen a real part of our energy future. With the right momentum, electrolysis could play a major role in cutting carbon for good.

Other Applications for Electrolysis

Hydrogen production is the most talked-about use of electrolysis because of its clean energy potential, but it has other uses as well:

• Metal extraction and refining: Electrolysis is widely used to extract and purify metals like aluminum and copper. These high-purity metals can be used for electronics, construction, and more.
• Water treatment: Some water treatment systems use electrolysis to disinfect water without needing to add toxic chemicals.
• Manufacturing and industrial processes: Electrolysis is an essential process for producing chemicals like chlorine and sodium hydroxide. These chemicals are used in everything from cleaning products to paper.

Hair Removal

An unexpected, yet likely more familiar, way electrolysis is used for is cosmetic hair removal. This kind of electrolysis also uses an anode and a cathode to conduct electricity and produce a reaction. However, the process is entirely different from the electrolysis of water or sodium chloride.

There are three different ways of performing electrolysis for hair removal. Galvanic electrolysis uses an electrochemical reaction to remove hair, while thermolysis relies on heat. There’s also the option of using a blend of both methods.

Electrolysis FAQs

How does electrolysis produce energy?

Electrolysis uses energy instead of producing it. It uses electricity to split water (H20) into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is then stored in fuel cells for later use and burned for energy to power engines, turbines, and heating systems.

Is electrolysis energy efficient?

Yes, electrolysis can be very energy efficient when the hydrogen energy it produces is directly used. Electrolysis can convert around 80% of electricity into hydrogen energy, with the best electrolysers achieving 95% efficiency. However, electrolysis becomes less energy efficient if you have to take the hydrogen and store, transport, or reconvert it back into electricity.

The Future of Electrolysis

Electrolysis isn’t a new concept. In fact, Michael Faraday identified the laws of electrolysis back in 1833. But its potential as a clean energy solution is just beginning to get attention. As the electric grid evolves and renewables become more widespread, hydrogen-producing electrolysis can solve some of our most pressing energy challenges.

Nonetheless, it may be a few decades before electrolysis becomes a viable, cost-effective clean energy alternative. In the meantime, you can explore Just Energy’s electricity plans and our JustGreen add-on.

Brought to you by justenergy.com

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