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Cornell Researchers Unveil Solar-Seawater Innovation for Green Hydrogen Production

A research team led by Cornell University has developed a cost-effective and sustainable method to produce carbon-free green hydrogen using only sunlight and seawater. The breakthrough taps into the waste heat from photovoltaic cells—a usually underutilized byproduct of solar panels—to power thermal desalination and subsequent electrolysis.

While traditional solar cells convert only about 30% of sunlight into electricity, the remaining infrared heat is often wasted. The Cornell prototype, however, uses that heat to evaporate seawater, which is then condensed into clean water. This distilled water feeds an electrolyzer, splitting it into hydrogen and oxygen.

Dr. Lenan Zhang, the project’s lead and assistant professor at Cornell Engineering, emphasized the device’s ability to use all components of solar radiation, maximizing energy efficiency. A special capillary wick enhances evaporation by creating a thin film of seawater on the solar panel’s surface, achieving over 90% evaporation efficiency.

This innovation addresses two critical challenges: the high water requirement (about 9 kg of water per 1 kg of hydrogen) and the high cost of green hydrogen, often 10 times that of conventional hydrogen due to freshwater constraints. Using abundant seawater could be a game-changer, making green hydrogen production more scalable and eco-friendly.

The development builds upon earlier efforts by institutions like MIT and the University of Illinois, Chicago, which have also explored solar-powered hydrogen generation, including a 2024 innovation combining solar energy with agricultural waste to cut energy demands by 600%.

Cornell’s integrated approach brings the world a step closer to affordable, large-scale green hydrogen powered entirely by renewable sources and seawater.