Abstract

Electrolysis is a well-established technology with many different applications. In particular, it can be used to produce hydrogen by using electricity to split water. As an increasing part of the energy system consists of fluctuating power sources such as wind and solar it becomes increasingly necessary to be able to store large amounts of electrical energy. One option is to do it in the form of hydrogen or hydrogen-rich synthetic compounds. This has led to increased interest in electrolysis with new cell types being developed. This entry provides an overview of the status and technological challenges of electrolysis systems and discusses their role in the future energy system.