Consider the Possibility of Extracting Energy from 1 M3 of Water

Essay

Consider the possibility of extracting energy from 1 m3 of water. One
approach would be lift the water to some elevation and then to generate electricity hydroelectrically (i.e., pumped hydroelectric storage). The second approach would be to produce hydrogen from the water by electrolysis and then generate electricity from the hydrogen in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Using typical efficiencies as given in Chapters 18 and 20, how high would the cubic meter of water have to be lifted to provide the same total electrical energy output as the fuel cell?