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A New and Improved Method of Solar Water Splitting

See how researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a new kind of solar panel that is nearly 10 times more efficient than previous tech of its kind — a development that aids the path toward carbon neutrality.

“In the end, we believe that artificial photosynthesis devices will be much more efficient than natural photosynthesis, which will provide a path toward carbon neutrality,” said Zetian Mi  , a professor of electrical and computer engineering.

Topics:
Electrification Energy Energy Efficiency Energy Harvesting Power Renewable Energy Solar Power

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    Transcript

    00:00:00 >>Mi: Hydrogen has been considered by many   countries as a very essential path  for achieving carbon neutrality. >>VO: The majority of hydrogen production  comes from fossil fuels that release   greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. A  clean alternative is solar water splitting,   which replicates photosynthesis by  harvesting the sun's energy to separate   hydrogen molecules from water but it has  been difficult to achieve high efficiencies. >>Mi: We have identified several important  steps to break the efficiency bottleneck. One   important aspect is to harvest the previously  wasted infrared light of the solar spectrum. >>VO: To achieve this, the researchers used  a large lens to concentrate sunlight onto   the semiconductor catalyst submerged in  water. The catalyst is able to harvest  

    00:00:52 the infrared light and heat the chamber to a  high temperature of 70 degrees Celsius. This   accelerates the water splitting process,  resulting in higher hydrogen generation. >>Mi: At elevated temperatures, the  hydrogen-oxygen recombination can be suppressed,   so that will give us higher efficiency  solar hydrogen generation. Currently,   we are at a little over 9 percent, very close  to 10 percent, solar hydrogen efficiency. >>VO: This is made possible by a uniquely  designed semiconductor that is able to handle   the high temperatures without degrading.  In the future, the researchers hope to   improve the efficiency as well as make this  method available for commercial production. >>Mi: The material that we use, gallium nitride and silicon, can also be produced at large scale,   and we can leverage the current infrastructure for  low-cost green hydrogen generation in the future.