Review on hydrogen production technologies from solar energy

Abstract

This article overviews the available technologies for hydrogen generation using solar energy as main source. Photochemical, electrochemical and thermochemical processes for producing hydrogen with solar energy are analysed from a technological and economical point of view. It is concluded that developments of improved processes for hydrogen production via renewable feedstock are likely to continue in order to reach competitive hydrogen production costs. Hybrid thermochemical processes where hydrocarbons are exclusively used as chemical reactants for the production of syngas and the concentrated solar radiation is used as a heat source, represent one of the most promising alternatives: they combine conventional and renewable energy representing a proper transition towards asolarhydrogen economy.