Green Hydrogen Production Enhanced by Bifacial Solar PV Systems and Cool Roof Technologies

Researchers from the University of Sharjah have made significant findings in the field of green hydrogen production, demonstrating the potential of bifacial solar photovoltaics (bPV) and cool roof technologies to enhance energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. By utilizing a bifacial solar PV system that incorporates cool roof technology, the researchers were able to improve the solar-to-hydrogen (STH) ratio, a system's performance metric, by up to 26.69%. The study's unique approach involved integrating cutting-edge technology and creating a cool roof paint to increase power generation output and green hydrogen production.

Key Takeaways:

• The researchers found that a bifacial solar PV system with a cool roof technology can improve green hydrogen production by up to 26.69%.
• The study's results show that the daily performance of the bPV with different building roof coatings (green, grey, and white) enhances the system's STH by 13.74%, 15.77%, and 22.70%, respectively.
• The research concluded that cool roof paint as a reflecting surface for bPV-powered hydrogen generation systems not only enhances energy generation by PVs but also improves the STH ratio significantly.
• The study's uniqueness lies in integrating cutting-edge technology like bifacial solar PV and creating cool roof paint to increase power generation output and green hydrogen production.
• The researchers found that albedo (the most significant factor) has a significant impact on the optimal operating conditions of the bifacial solar PV system.

Statistics:

• The study's STH ratio improvement ranged from 13.74% to 26.69% compared to the monofacial PV panel.
• The green hydrogen production system powered through bPV with white cardboard, white wallpaper, and cool roof paint as reflecting surfaces improved the system's STH by 22.70%, 25.26%, and 26.69%, respectively.
• The researchers found that the daily performance of the bPV with different building roof coatings (green, grey, and white) enhances the system's STH by 13.74%, 15.77%, and 22.70%, respectively.

Sources:

• Green Hydrogen Production and Solar To Hydrogen Ratio Using Innovative and Integrated Bifacial Solar Photovoltaics and Cool Roof Technologies. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2025;142:1132-1139. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; International Journal of Hydrogen Energy - www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-hydrogen-energy/)
• Chaouki Ghenai, University of Sharjah, Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Sustainable Energy & Power Syst Res Ctr, Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Res Grp, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.