Solar hydrogen generation demonstrator based on bifacial photovoltaics

Within the PECSYS Project, the Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems (IMM) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR), together with Enel Green Power and Forschungszentrum Jülich, developed a solar to hydrogen generation demonstrator based on a 730 cm2 three-cell bifacial silicon heterojunction photovoltaic mini-module. The photovoltaic module has been directly coupled to a water electrolysis system based on a proton exchange membrane (PEM). The system has operated outdoor continuously from June to September 2020 in Catania, Italy. The main results on the system performance at 1000 W/m2 of incident solar radiation are the following:

1. Solar to hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency of 13.5 %
2. H2 production rate of 4.2 grams / m2 / hr
3. Optimized bifaciality at 30 % albedo allowing a 16% gain in conversion efficiency compared to mono-facial photovoltaics.

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This video shows one of the direct solar to hydrogen generation approaches that were developed in the PECSYS Horizon 2020 Project coordinated by Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin. For more information on PECSYS, please visit: www.pecsys-horizon2020.eu

Видео Solar hydrogen generation demonstrator based on bifacial photovoltaics канала Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB)