Challenges posed by the intermittency of solar energy source necessitate theintegration of solar energy conversion with scalable energy storage systems.The monolithic integration of photoelectrochemical solar energy conversionand electrochemical energy storage offers an efficient and compact approachtoward practical solar energy utilization. Here, we present the design principlesfor and the demonstration of a highly efficient integrated solar flow battery(SFB) device with a record solar-to-output electricity efficiency of 14.1%. SuchSFB devices can be configured to perform all the requisite functions from solarenergy harvest to electricity redeliverywithout external bias. Capitalizing onhigh-efficiency and high-photovoltage tandem III-V photoelectrodes that areproperly matched with high-cell-voltage redox flow batteries and carefully de-signed flow field architecture, we reveal the general design principles for effi-cient SFBs. These results will enable a highly efficient approach for practicaloff-grid solar utilization and electrification.
In the News:
- Record-breaking battery saves sunshine for a rainy day, Nature, 2018
- Angela Chen, How a ‘solar battery’ could bring electricity to rural areas, The Verge, 2018.
- Prachi Patel, New Device Marries Solar Cells With Flow Batteries, IEEE Spectrum, 2018.
- Cell Press, Device that integrates solar cell and battery could store electricity outside the grid, EurekAlert, 2018.
- Cell Press, Device that integrates solar cell and battery could store electricity outside the grid, ScienceDaily, 2018.
- Scientists Make 'Solar Flow Battery', Compound Semiconductor, 2018.
- Emiliano Bellin, International research group develops solar cell with storage properties, PV Magazine, 2018.
- Jack Loughran, Solar flow battery captures sunlight to provide electricity in remote areas, E&T Magazine, 2018.
- David Tenenbaum, Solar cell, married to liquid battery, achieves record efficiency, UW News, 2018.
- Chris HubbUuch, Bottling the sun: UW researchers combine solar cell, battery to store energy in liquid, Wisconsin State Journal, 2018