Solar energy technologies for next-generation energy

In my view as the result of reading recent technical news in Japan, one of the next -generation major energy sources is the solar energy. 

Some artificial photosynthesis technologies have been newsed recently.  The technologies reported in those items of news are still around the stage of empirically showing the possibility to practical use of the technologies.  Those technologies emerged from AIST, Osaka University, Toyota Central R & D Labs., and Panasonic. 

In the view of utilizing the solar energy, the magnesium fuel cell is the most advanced in technology.  The Mg fuel cell has been substantially in the practical use stage.  See http://p.tl/Xjy7 and http://p.tl/GmMA

Hydrogen refueling station collocating with gas station to be demonstration-tested

JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation will conduct a hydrogen refueling demonstration test during a period from Feb. 2013 to March 2016. In the test, a hydrogen refueling station collocates with a normal gas station. The test will grasp and understand problems through actual hydrogen refueling service towards the 2015 FCV commercialization. Two ways to refuel the FCVs with hydrogen gas will be employed; one way is based the self-refueling and the other way is based on the serviceman refueling. This type of demonstration test is the first in Japan. Japan is behind schedule in hydrogen refueling infrastructure installation. The installation retardation is due to some legal controls. The government has announced to remove those legal controls and also to build a number of hydrogen refueling stations. >> More