Analysis of Photoelectrochemical System for Producing an‎d Storing Hydrogen

10/11/2026 12:00:00 AM

Hydrogen, as a clean energy carrier that produces only water upon use, plays a vital role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions an‎d replacing fossil fuels, offering efficient energy storage an‎d transportation capabilities. Photoelectrochemical systems, which convert sunlight an‎d water into hydrogen through artificial photosynthesis an‎d electrolysis, provide an innovative an‎d sustainable approach, reducing the need for more complex systems like photovoltaic-electrolysis. By utilizing semiconductor materials, Photoelectrochemical technology transforms solar energy into chemical energy, offering a cost-effective an‎d environmentally friendly solution for hydrogen production. This study comprehensively eva‎luated Photoelectrochemical systems from technical, economic, an‎d environmental perspectives. Optimization of parameters such as current density (5-10 mA/cm²), system area (5-20 m²), an‎d cathode porosity (0.1-0.9) using a genetic algorithm increased daily hydrogen production to 0.7 m³/day an‎d boosted solar-to-hydrogen efficiency to 15%. Economically, the total system cost (100-200 USD) was heavily influenced by components like hydrogen storage (70 USD/m²) an‎d photovoltaic electrodes (50 USD/m²), yet optimization achieved a balanced trade-off between cost an‎d efficiency. Environmentally, life cycle assessment (LCA) revealed that Photoelectrochemical outperforms photovoltaic-electrolysis in water consumption an‎d freshwater ecotoxicity (15-20% lower impact), but the extraction of raw materials such as LaNi₅ (0.423 kg) significantly affects global warming an‎d human toxicity. The importance of hydrogen as a future clean energy source, coupled with Photoelectrochemical’s potential to harness renewable resources, positions this technology as a promising solution. However, challenges such as material stability (exponential decay over 100 hours) an‎d scalability require further research to enable widespread adoption of Photoelectrochemical for sustainable hydrogen production, contributing to global sustainability goals.

فتوالكتروكميكال , توليد هيدروژن , ذخيره هيدروژن , انرژي تجديدپذير

photoelectrochemical , hydrogen production , hydrogen storage , renewable energy

Iliya Baktash

Samane Ghandehariun