Academic, Corporate Collaboration Succeeds at World's Most Efficient Solar Power-Generated Hydrogen Production

A research group consisting of Assistant Professor Yasuyuki Ota and Professor Kensuke Nishioka from the University of Miyazaki, Professor Masakazu Sugiyama of the University of Tokyo, Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd., and Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., designed and built a system for water electrolysis using electricity obtained from high-efficiency concentrator photovoltaic cells, successfully converting 18.8% of the solar energy (daily average) to hydrogen energy. Hydrogen has been promoted for use as a new energy carrier, with high expectations for the combination of renewable energy, such as solar power, with water electrolysis as a hydrogen energy production system that does not emit CO2. The research group has newly developed electrical conversion equipment (DC/DC converters) that efficiently supplies electricity obtained from new high-efficiency concentrator photovoltaic cells to polymer electrolyte electrolysis equipment, and has achieved an average daily energy conversion efficiency rate of 18.8% converting solar energy to hydrogen, in a field trial using actual sunlight.