Solar water splitting by photovoltaic-electrolysis with a solar-to-hydrogen efficiency over 30%
By Jieyang Jia, L. Seitz, Jesse D. Benck, Y. Huo, Yusi Chen, J. Ng, T. Bilir, J. Harris, T. Jaramillo. Nature Communications, 2016
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Hydrogen production via electrochemical water splitting is a promising approach for storing solar energy. For this technology to be economically competitive, it is critical to develop water splitting systems with high solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiencies. Here we report a photovoltaic-electrolysis system with the highest STH efficiency for any water splitting technology to date, to the best of our knowledge. Our system consists of two polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysers in series with one InGaP/GaAs/GaInNAsSb triple-junction solar cell, which produces a large-enough voltage to drive both electrolysers with no additional energy input. The solar concentration is adjusted such that the maximum power point of the photovoltaic is well matched to the operating capacity of the electrolysers to optimize the system efficiency. The system achieves a 48-h average STH efficiency of 30%. These results demonstrate the potential of photovoltaic-electrolysis systems for cost-effective solar energy storage. In order to be practical for large-scale deployment, the cost of solar hydrogen generation must be significantly reduced. Here, the authors employ a triple-junction solar cell with two series connected polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysers to achieve solar to hydrogen efficiency of 30%.
Subfields: Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Energy Engineering and Power Technology, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/1bb6d4078e317c0388c7bbf1ea7c575fffe7a2ff
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