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NREL sets new world efficiency record for solar hydrogen production: 16.2%

Green Car Congress

Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recaptured the record for highest efficiency in solar hydrogen production via a photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting process. a, Solar flux incident from the right, on an immersed tandem water-splitting device where photons with hν > 1.8

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NREL researchers capture excess photon energy to produce solar fuels; higher efficiency water-splitting for H2

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showed for the first time how MEG allowed a solar cell to exceed 100% quantum efficiency by producing more electrons in the electrical current than the amount of photons entering the solar cell. Beard (2011) “Peak External Photocurrent Quantum Efficiency Exceeding 100% via MEG in a Quantum Dot Solar Cell” Science Vol.

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New photochemical diode artificial photosynthesis system doubles efficiency of solar water splitting

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As reported in an open-access paper in Nature Communications, the wafer-level photochemical diode arrays exhibited solar-to-hydrogen efficiency of ~3.3% Previous direct solar water splitters have achieved a little more than 1 percent stable solar-to-hydrogen efficiency in fresh or saltwater. in neutral (pH?~?7.0)

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What ‘real world’ hydrogen pickup looks like and why it should end the conversation

Baua Electric

I sent over the following email in a quest for clarity: Reading this article, it’s not clear if the truck has 300 miles of range AND “can power 250 homes for a day” or has 300 miles of range OR “can power 250 homes for a day.” Can you help clarify if the range is tied to the output? I just didn’t expect GM to prove his point.

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Nitrogen-doped graphene nanoplatelets offer high catalytic performance in fuel cells and solar cells; possible replacement for Pt

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Researchers in South Korea have developed a simple, low-cost and eco-friendly method of creating nitrogen-doped graphene nanoplatelets (NGnPs) with excellent catalytic performance in both dye-sensitized solar cells and fuel cells to replace conventional platinum (Pt)-based catalysts for energy conversion. —Jeon et al. 1116897109.

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MIT/Stanford team develops battery technology for the conversion of low-grade waste heat to power; TREC

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Researchers at MIT and Stanford University have developed new battery technology for the conversion of low-temperature waste heat into electricity in cases where temperature differences are less than 100 degrees Celsius. These features lead to a high heat-to-electricity energy conversion efficiency of 5.7% Click to enlarge.

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OSU hybrid “solar battery” uses photo-assisted charging to improve performance of Li-air batteries; “negative overpotential”

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The basic concept of the integrated solar battery is to use the contribution of the photovoltage to reduce greatly the charging overpotential caused by the difficulty in efficiently electrochemically decomposing lithium peroxide (Li 2 O 2 ), the discharge product formed on the oxygen electrode. —Yu et al. Photo-assisted charging. (a)

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