Renewable energy is seen by many as the only means by which the global community can address emissions issues and develop an energy infrastructure which is sustainable over a long period of time. While fossil fuels have served the country well in the past, scientists and environmentalists alike are always on the lookout for the next big renewable energy breakthrough. So what exactly is the most recent breakthrough in renewable energy and how could it potentially impact the future? What Is The New Technology Breakthrough? Recently, scientists have developed a membrane that can more easily and efficiently separate hydrogen from ammonia. This is done by passing the ammonia through a membrane which allows the hydrogen gas to pass through and keeps all of the other chemicals separate. This is viewed as a major breakthrough because never before has there been such a simple process to separate exclusively hydrogen. Scientists are already theorizing about the many potential uses of the gas. Why Does Hydrogen Have Such A Potential As A Fuel? Many see hydrogen as the fuel of the future. It has the potential to power cars and fuel cells alike which produce massive amounts of energy to meet the demands of consumers. Additionally, it is one of the most abundant natural resources in the world. If scientists would be able to harness the power of hydrogen to be readily used, it could revolutionize a variety of industries. Some cars are already powered by hydrogen and if hydrogen can be obtained and stored more readily, the entire transportation industry could stand to benefit. What Problems Could This Breakthrough Solve? The biggest breakthrough is the ability to cheaply store and transport hydrogen from one place to another. While this was possible in the past, it was not nearly cost effective enough to expand operations outside of a few very select locations. This is now possible thanks to the membrane which separates the hydrogen from an ammonia base. Now, instead of storing and transporting just hydrogen, carriers could store and transport ammonia and then use a device containing this membrane to easily separate exclusively hydrogen. If this process can be done cheaper and more efficiently, the plausibility of expanding hydrogen powered mechanical devices is greatly increased. Originally posted at BlairSergeant.net! http://blairsergeant.net/breakthroughs-in-renewable-energy-tech/