Highly efficient 470 W solar-to-hydrogen conversion system based on concentrator photovoltaic modules with dynamic control of operating point

Abstract

Using an optimized system comprising concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) modules, electrolyzers, and DC/DC converters for dynamic control, we achieved a one-day solar-to-hydrogen (STH) efficiency of 18.78% — the highest value for a sub-kilowatt-scale photovoltaic (PV) system under outdoor operation. We clarified that incorporating high-efficiency CPV modules and DC/DC converters in PV-driven solar hydrogen production systems is essential for obtaining the highest STH efficiency. Furthermore, we noted that the overpotential of electrochemical (EC) cells is a bottleneck for the improvement in STH efficiency; therefore, future work should focus on reducing such an overpotential.