The Energy Department will present a live webinar entitled "Highly Efficient Solar Thermochemical Reaction Systems" on Tuesday, January 13, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. This webinar will focus on DOE's investments in micro- and meso-channel reactors and heat exchangers, which have led to the development of a highly compact reaction system that efficiently converts concentrated solar energy into chemical energy. Recent on-sun tests at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have demonstrated 69% solar-to-chemical energy conversion efficiency, converting methane and water into syngas—a mix of hydrogen and carbon monoxide—and the technology received an R&D 100 Award in 2014. As the solar energy is stored in chemical bonds in the syngas product, the effective result is a 20% increase in the fuel energy without an increase in carbon content. This webinar will describe the evolving status of the technology with a focus on near-term, anticipated applications, which include fuel cells, combustion gas turbines, and the production of various chemical products.

Register to attend the webinar.