Solar Hydrogen Production

Abstract

This chapter summarizes the current status of solar-aided hydrogen production technologies, with special emphasis on high temperature thermochemical concepts. The required high temperatures are achieved via concentrated solar irradiation through the respective systems, e.g., solar towers and solar dishes. Customized, efficient, and robust solar reactor concepts are important to ensure optimum coupling of the thermochemical phenomenon with the solar source. Of fundamental importance for such thermochemical processes is the development of active materials and key components. Some of the most studied and promising active materials are presented in this chapter along with their relevant advantages and challenges. Solar hydrogen (/fuels) production is found to constitute an in principle promising alternative and supplementary solution to currently employed renewables. Nevertheless, further development is required to increase solar-to-fuel efficiencies and to overcome long-term stability issues. Favorable solutions strongly depend on the identification of more active and robust materials as well as on the definition of solar reactor designs that will ensure optimum exploitation of solar irradiation.