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Hydrogen fuel cells can potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the dependence on finite fossil fuel resources. Improvements in the storage of hydrogen are needed for more widespread use of hydrogen fuel cells. To help better understand the hydrogen storage needs in the future, this study analyzes opportunities for the near-term deployment of H2-fueled fuel cells in man-portable power devices and personal electronics. The analysis engaged end users, equipment manufacturers, and technical experts to determine not only the most feasible devices for near-term deployment of hydrogen fuel cells but also the meaningful and realistic requirements for hydrogen storage in these applications. It was found that military personnel power generators, consumer battery rechargers, and specialized laptop computers offer the most potential for the incorporation of fuel cell technology. However, large improvements must be made in energy storage densities for hydrogen fuel cells to compete with batteries or direct methanol fuel cells in order to make fuel cells attractive if an inexpensive and convenient hydrogen supply is not available.

As a highly reactive gas, hydrogen presents significant challenges for its acquisition and safe storage. Consequently, the viability of a sustainable hydrogen economy greatly depends on the development of an efficient, cost-effective method of hydrogen production. One model for addressing this challenge is to deploy portable hydrogen generators for the home. The Princeton University Chapter of the International Association for Hydrogen Energy (IAHE-PU) has designed and created a generator that produces hydrogen through water electrolysis and optimizes cost effectiveness and portability while maximizing hydrogen output. For our proof-of-concept, the system utilizes simple household items with a Sharp ND130UJF 130W solar panel. In our design, Ni electrodes submerged in 8 M KOH solution in six glass containers were utilized to power an external circuit. Over 1 h, our system produced 8.61 L of hydrogen gas at an estimated cost of $8.58 per kilogram of hydrogen gas over the 25-year lifetime of the solar panel.