Solar-Driven Thermally\nRegenerative Electrochemical\nCells for Continuous Power Generation with Coupled Optical and Thermal\nIntegration

This study presents the development of a solar-driven\nthermally\nregenerative electrochemical cell (STREC) for continuous power generation.\nKey innovations include dual-function carbon-based electrodes for\nefficient solar absorption and electrochemical reactions, a transparent\nand ultrainsulating silica aerogel to maximize solar spectrum transmission\nwhile minimizing heat loss, and a compact heat exchanger to recover\nheat from hot cell streams. Under 1 sun conditions, the STREC achieves\na power density of 912.1 mW/m<sup>2</sup>, doubling the performance\ncompared to a nonintegrated system. At higher solar concentrations\n(2 suns), the power density further increases to 1214.4 mW/m<sup>2</sup>. Our findings indicate that this combination holds significant promise\nfor efficient and continuous solar power generation. The application\nof state-of-the-art redox couples with high-temperature coefficients\nsuggests a potential solar electricity efficiency of 12.6%, comparable\nto that of industrial photovoltaic technologies, providing a viable\npathway for enhancing the renewable energy share in the global energy\nmix.