To make renewable energy a viable business, engineers are seeking ways to store energy from solar panels and wind turbines when demand is low so it can be sold to utilities at higher prices when demand is strong. Jetstream Wind is betting on hydrogen. Its approach uses solar-generated electricity to run an age-old chemical process called electrolysis, which cleaves hydrogen atoms from water. The idea is to store that gas in tanks, then burn it--like natural gas--in turbines, making power on demand.

Jetstream Chief Executive Henry Herman, who is building a $219 million pilot plant in Truth or Consequences, N.M., admits that selling solar power straight to utilities is simpler than going through the storage steps. But adding storage will yield a higher return on investment, he argues.

Source: BusinessWeek