Scientists seek to make energy as plants do

"Artificial photosynthesis differs from photovoltaics, the method used in solar panels, which generates an electrical current that can't be stored but must be loaded onto the electrical grid."

Uh...

It would have been useful to tell us how efficient natural photosynthesis is in capturing sunlight energy, and whether researchers think they can beat this.

We know that the new photovoltaic efficiency record is 25%, and that the electricity produced can be used to power reactions that produce chemical fuels (with an accompanying loss in end-to-end efficiency).

If artificial photosynthesis isn't similarly efficient at producing fuel, then it doesn't sound as if it is better than photovoltaics.

Yes, why not focus on solar panels? Fuel for cars becomes obsolete once good electric cars emerge. With high capacity batteries or even supercapacitors for fast charging.

Right from the article: "Natural photosynthesis captures less than 3 percent of the sunlight that reaches Earth."

A comment was also posted the other day that mentioned efficiency is about 3% to 8% depending on the plant.

I think it is assumed they have bested the plants.

Good work! e=E=mc2 ! Where is "Albert" when you really need him!

If the final result in artificial photosynthesis is break the water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen, wouldn't it be easier to use photovoltaics combined with electrolysis? I wonder what the overall efficiency of this procedure is.

Electrolosis:Not high...

I did some looking some time ago, and the electrolosis efficiency is pretty low, about 30%. It get's worse as you scale it up. The more current you dump the worse it gets due to resistance of the metals.

If you start with 24% photovoltaic, you'll get 8% overall. :/

Then you just get hydrogen, and what do you do with that? (more losses when you use it)

I so want it to work, but i'm not seeing the light yet.