(415h) Integrated Solar Energy Conversion and Storage Using Solar Flow Batteries

Photovoltaics are rapidly approaching cost parity with conventional fossil fuel sources of electricity, but they are hampered by the intermittent availability of sunlight. Electrochemical devices like batteries and fuel cells can facilitate large scale solar energy storage, but the capital intensity and long-term costs of current technologies remain prohibitive in most markets. We have made considerable progress toward realization of efficient solar conversion, storage, and delivery as electricity using an integrated photo-electrochemical device we call the Solar Flow Battery (SFB). We believe that a mature SFB technology will provide considerable cost advantages relative to discrete solar+battery systems due to the intensification of the overall energy conversion and storage process into a single device. In this presentation, recent results on SFB device modeling and realization of laboratory-scale prototypes will be discussed.