Visit the Solar Institute for details of the 2011 Solar Symposium: solar.gwu.edu/Symposium.html

1. Solar Thermal Hybrids
STEP:
A different solar energy conversion process
The Solar Thermal Electrochemical Production
of energetic molecules
Stuart Licht
slicht@gwu.edu
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2. The Solar Thermal Generation of Electricity is evolving rapidly
STEP is our new hybrid solar
thermal process.
Its synergy is fundamentally
capable of higher solar energy
efficiency.
Rather than electricity, STEP
produces as a product staples,
such as fuel, metals and bleach.
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5. STEP (Solar Thermal, Electrochemical Production) is a process to
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6. The STEP (Solar Thermal, Electrochemical Production) Process
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7. STEP hydrogen generation
Weʼve been interested in solar H2
"(solar electrochemical water splitting) " "
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" as an alternative to fossil fuels"

8. STEP hydrogen generation
Today with our friends at Lynntech, Inc.,
a STEP type hydrogen generator is in
development for the US Air Force.
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10. Could STEP replace today’s alkali chlor process for bleach production?
The alkali chlor process consumes
~1% of the world's generated
electricity, thereby releasing CO2, to
make chlorine for bleach.
Instead STEP uses the decrease of
chloride electrolysis potentials,
which are on the order of volts per
1000°C temperature change.
Envisioning a Renewable Chemical Economy
Ex: Can we scale STEP for solar seawater desalinization forming bleach & metals?
Excess solar thermal maintains a molten
chloride bath; which in tandem:
1) Vaporizes seawater for desalinization,
or water splitting.
2) Provides for molten chloride electrolysis.
Seawater is 3.5 wt %
in dissolved salt,
principally 0.5 M
NaCl, and 0.05
M MgCl2. 14:15

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12. Goal: Efficient, low cost, high rate iron
production without carbon dioxide emission.
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13. STEP is a new process using well established components
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17. STEP (Solar Thermal, Electrochemical Production) is a process to
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