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Coupling Energy Capture and Storage - Endeavoring to make a solar battery
Yukti Arora1, Shateesh Battu2, Santosh Haram2
1Department of Chemical Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, 400005, India.
Scientific Reports
|August 26, 2018
Summary
This study introduces a novel bi-functional material for simultaneous solar energy capture and storage, overcoming limitations of separate photovoltaic cells and batteries. Light illumination enhances solar energy storage capacity by approximately 30%.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Renewable Energy
Background:
- Current solar energy storage relies on separate photovoltaic cells and electrochemical storage devices.
- This coupled-device architecture presents challenges due to complexity and multiple charge transfer interfaces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a single bi-functional material for integrated solar energy capture and storage.
- To investigate the photo-electrochemical properties of BiVO4 and Co3O4 for energy storage.
Main Methods:
- Evaluation of n-type BiVO4 and p-type Co3O4 semiconductors for energy storage.
- Testing material performance under visible light illumination and in its absence.
- Analyzing the influence of photo-generated charge carriers on redox activity.
Main Results:
- Both BiVO4 and Co3O4 exhibit light-harvesting and faradaic capabilities.
- Photo-illumination significantly perturbs the electroactivity of redox species.
- An enhancement of approximately 30% in discharge capacity for BiVO4 was observed under illumination.
Conclusions:
- A single bi-functional material can achieve integrated solar energy capture and storage.
- Photo-generated charge carriers play a crucial role in enhancing storage capacity.
- This approach offers a novel route to augment solar charge storage during illumination.
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