Truly green energy! The new concentrating device can achieve a 17% conversion efficiency in hydrogen production from solar energy

According to foreign media reports, a team from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) has brought a new concentrating device. They combined the concentrating device with photoelectrochemical hydrogen production and successfully converted solar energy into hydrogen. Not only is the conversion efficiency as high as 17%, but the service life can also be up to more than 4 years.

The highlights of the new equipment are: solar concentrating equipment and III-V semiconductor solar cells. The concentrating system can increase the irradiation by 474 kW/m2. In addition, since the concentrating system can reduce the sunlight exposure area and concentrate solar radiation, it can reduce the size and amount of solar cells and improve the conversion efficiency.

The team said the new solar device can convert 17% of sunlight into hydrogen, the same as the previous record for photoelectrochemical reactions. Project leader Sophia Haussener said the new device can produce 1,000 grams of hydrogen in clear weather, enough for a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle to travel 100-150 kilometers. The LRESE team estimates that the new system can operate for more than 30,000 hours without replacing some parts, which means its minimum lifespan is 4 years. If damaged parts are replaced, the lifespan can exceed 20 years.

The team believes that the current density of the device is excellent and the output power is as high as 27W. The team has successfully accelerated the commercialization of photoelectrochemical hydrogen production.