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METHODS article

Front. Energy Res.
Sec. Process and Energy Systems Engineering
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fenrg.2024.1483914
This article is part of the Research Topic Advanced Water Splitting Technologies Development: Best Practices and Protocols Volume II View all articles

Addressing challenges for operating electrochemical solar fuels technologies under variable and diurnal conditions

Provisionally accepted
Kyra M. Yap Kyra M. Yap 1,2Sol A Lee Sol A Lee 3*Tobias A. Kistler Tobias A. Kistler 4Darci K. Collins Darci K. Collins 5*Emily L. Warren Emily L. Warren 5*Harry A. Atwater Harry A. Atwater 3*Thomas F. Jaramillo Thomas F. Jaramillo 1,2*Chengxiang Xiang Chengxiang Xiang 3*Adam Nielander Adam Nielander 2*
  • 1 Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States
  • 2 SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California, United States
  • 3 California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States
  • 4 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, United States
  • 5 National Renewable Energy Laboratory (DOE), Golden, Colorado, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The outdoor operation of electrochemical solar fuels devices must contend with challenges presented by variations in the cycles of solar irradiance, temperature, and other meteorological factors. In this perspective, we discuss challenges associated with these fluctuations presented over three timescales, including the effects of diurnal cycling over the course of many days, a single diurnal cycle over the course of hours, and meteorological phenomena that cause fluctuations on the order of seconds to minutes. We also highlight both reaction-independent and reaction-specific effects of variable conditions for the hydrogen evolution reaction and CO2 reduction reaction. We identify key areas of research for advancing the outdoor operation of solar fuels technology and highlight the need for metrics and benchmarks to enable the comparison of diurnal studies across systems and geographical locations.

    Keywords: Solar fuels and chemicals, Electrochemistry, durability, Outdoor operation, Hydrogen, CO2 reduction, Electrocatalysis

    Received: 20 Aug 2024; Accepted: 27 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Yap, Lee, Kistler, Collins, Warren, Atwater, Jaramillo, Xiang and Nielander. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Sol A Lee, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, 91125, California, United States
    Darci K. Collins, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (DOE), Golden, 80401, Colorado, United States
    Emily L. Warren, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (DOE), Golden, 80401, Colorado, United States
    Harry A. Atwater, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, 91125, California, United States
    Thomas F. Jaramillo, Stanford University, Stanford, 94305, California, United States
    Chengxiang Xiang, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, 91125, California, United States
    Adam Nielander, SUNCAT Center for Interface Science and Catalysis, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.