Renewable Energy International (REI), a small New Jersey-based integrator of renewable energy technologies, is planning to design and install a solar powered hydrogen fuel cell energy system at a home in the Cayman Islands.

A prototype system installed in October 2006 at a home in New Jersey, said to be the first of its kind in North America, is heating and cooling the home, providing refueling capability for electric or hydrogen vehicles and generating renewable energy production credits given that it's grid-tied.

This unique renewable energy system provides complete energy production, indefinite storage, and delivery with no emissions or carbon footprint, the company said.

Unlike conventional hydrogen generation systems, which are fossil fuel-based, this system is to be powered only by solar energy.

“This solar-hydrogen power system will demonstrate that the reality of a completely renewable energy system is no longer in the future, it is here now,” said Michael Strizki, inventor of the REI solar-hydrogen system.

REI’s design is to include a photovoltaic array that will produce electricity to provide for the home’s primary electricity load, as well as enough excess electricity to run an electrolyzer which converts water into hydrogen. The hydrogen produced will be stored in a tank and converted back into electricity when needed by a fuel cell.

To increase energy efficiency, the system will be integrated with a geothermal system to provide for the home’s cooling needs and domestic hot water.

The solar-hydrogen system will be designed to meet the home’s total energy needs without reliance on any external source of energy, the company said.

The system is expected to be completed for approximately $200,000 USD.