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Kilowatt-scale solar hydrogen production system using a concentrated integrated photoelectrochemical device

Author

Listed:
  • Isaac Holmes-Gentle

    (Laboratory of Renewable Energy Science and Engineering, EPFL)

  • Saurabh Tembhurne

    (Laboratory of Renewable Energy Science and Engineering, EPFL
    SoHHytec SA, EPFL Innovation Park, Batiment C)

  • Clemens Suter

    (Laboratory of Renewable Energy Science and Engineering, EPFL)

  • Sophia Haussener

    (Laboratory of Renewable Energy Science and Engineering, EPFL)

Abstract

The production of synthetic fuels and chemicals from solar energy and abundant reagents offers a promising pathway to a sustainable fuel economy and chemical industry. For the production of hydrogen, photoelectrochemical or integrated photovoltaic and electrolysis devices have demonstrated outstanding performance at the lab scale, but there remains a lack of larger-scale on-sun demonstrations (>100 W). Here we present the successful scaling of a thermally integrated photoelectrochemical device—utilizing concentrated solar irradiation—to a kW-scale pilot plant capable of co-generation of hydrogen and heat. A solar-to-hydrogen device-level efficiency of greater than 20% at an H2 production rate of >2.0 kW (>0.8 g min−1) is achieved. A validated model-based optimization highlights the dominant energetic losses and predicts straightforward strategies to improve the system-level efficiency of >5.5% towards the device-level efficiency. We identify solutions to the key technological challenges, control and operation strategies and discuss the future outlook of this emerging technology.

Suggested Citation

  • Isaac Holmes-Gentle & Saurabh Tembhurne & Clemens Suter & Sophia Haussener, 2023. "Kilowatt-scale solar hydrogen production system using a concentrated integrated photoelectrochemical device," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 8(6), pages 586-596, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natene:v:8:y:2023:i:6:d:10.1038_s41560-023-01247-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41560-023-01247-2
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    1. Hiroshi Nishiyama & Taro Yamada & Mamiko Nakabayashi & Yoshiki Maehara & Masaharu Yamaguchi & Yasuko Kuromiya & Yoshie Nagatsuma & Hiromasa Tokudome & Seiji Akiyama & Tomoaki Watanabe & Ryoichi Narush, 2021. "Photocatalytic solar hydrogen production from water on a 100-m2 scale," Nature, Nature, vol. 598(7880), pages 304-307, October.
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    2. Zhang, Entao & Xu, Chenyu & Gao, Yuan & Zhu, Xuan & Xie, Yin & Xu, Mingpan & Zhang, Yanwei, 2025. "An efficient ordered conversion system for hydrogen and electricity cogeneration driven by concentrated solar energy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 377(PC).
    3. Jimiao Zhang & Jie Li, 2024. "Revolution in Renewables: Integration of Green Hydrogen for a Sustainable Future," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-26, August.
    4. Cui, Ziyuan & Wu, Yan & Chen, Shengbin & Bian, Siying & Tang, Shuo & Wang, Yufei & Xu, Chunming, 2025. "Generalized methodology for the optimization of biomass-green hydrogen-based e-fuel system," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 378(PA).

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