Journal
CHEMSUSCHEM
Volume 7, Issue 5, Pages 1372-1385Publisher
WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH
DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201301030
Keywords
electrochemistry; energy conversion; photochemistry; semiconductors; water splitting
Funding
- Center on Nanostructuring for Efficient Energy Conversion (CNEEC) at Stanford University, an Energy Frontier Research Center
- U.S. DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy [NFT-9-88567-01, AGB-2-11473-01, DE-AC36-08GO28308]
- Fuel Cell Technologies Office, of the U. S. Department of Energy under Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory [DE-AC02-05CH11231, 7058299]
- National Science Foundation [CHE-1305124]
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
- United Technologies Research Center
- Stanford Graduate Fellowship
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Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting is a means to store solar energy in the form of hydrogen. Knowledge of practical limits for this process can help researchers assess their technology and guide future directions. We develop a model to quantify loss mechanisms in PEC water splitting based on the current state of materials research and calculate maximum solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiencies along with associated optimal absorber band gaps. Various absorber configurations are modeled considering the major loss mechanisms in PEC devices. Quantitative sensitivity analyses for each loss mechanism and each absorber configuration show a profound impact of both on the resulting STH efficiencies, which can reach upwards of 25% for the highest performance materials in a dual stacked configuration. Higher efficiencies could be reached as improved materials are developed. The results of the modeling also identify and quantify approaches that can improve system performance when working with imperfect materials.
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