SOLAR H2

SOLAR H2

Convert Sunlight to Hydrogen with IONZERA Membranes

Solar PV provides the cheapest electricity in history. IONZERA-equipped alkaline electrolysers convert this abundant energy into green hydrogen with maximum efficiency.

Membrane Cross-Section

PSU-TiO₂-GO
OH⁻OH⁻OH⁻PSU MatrixTiO₂GO SheetsPores350-410 μm

Maximize Solar Utilization

IONZERA's low resistance means less energy lost as heat in the membrane, converting more of each solar kWh into hydrogen chemical energy.

Handle Solar Variability

Solar output follows a daily curve and varies with cloud cover. IONZERA's high wettability and stable pore structure maintain performance across the variable load profile.

Ideal for Sun-Belt Projects

The world's best solar resources overlap with regions served by G-Hexa's India-based manufacturing, including India, the Middle East, Australia, and North Africa.

Solar PV Plus Electrolysis

Solar photovoltaic electricity has become the cheapest source of new electricity generation in most of the world, with levelized costs below $30/MWh in favorable locations. Pairing solar PV with alkaline electrolysis is the most direct pathway to low-cost green hydrogen production. However, extracting maximum value from solar-coupled electrolysis requires membranes optimized for the specific characteristics of solar power: high efficiency at variable loads, daily cycling, and extended idle periods overnight.

IONZERA's material properties are well-suited to solar-coupled operation. The hydrophilic PSU-TiO2-GO surface maintains electrolyte wetting even after overnight idle periods, enabling rapid morning startup without prolonged rewetting. The low area resistance maximizes hydrogen production during peak solar hours when the most electricity is available.

Optimizing Solar-to-H2 Conversion

The overall solar-to-hydrogen efficiency depends on both the PV system and the electrolyser. IONZERA improves the electrolyser component of this chain:

At peak solar output (maximum current density), IONZERA's thin profile and high porosity prevent excessive cell voltage rise
During partial cloud cover (reduced current density), the low resistance keeps cell efficiency above 80% even at part load
The 24-degree contact angle ensures rapid rewetting each morning, maximizing productive operating hours
Low gas crossover maintains hydrogen purity throughout the daily load cycle, avoiding product quality issues

Nanocomposite Structure

PSU-TiO₂-GO
OH⁻OH⁻OH⁻PSU MatrixTiO₂GO SheetsPores350-410 μm
3x

Lower Resistance

20%

Thinner Profile

Sun-Belt Green Hydrogen Projects

The world's largest planned green hydrogen projects are concentrated in sun-belt regions: India, the Middle East, North Africa, Chile, and Australia. These regions combine exceptional solar resources with growing hydrogen demand for domestic industry and export. IONZERA's manufacturing base in India provides a logistics advantage for serving these key markets, with shorter shipping times and competitive pricing from G-Hexa.

Area Resistance

3x LOWER
Area Specific Resistance ComparisonIONZERA0.09-0.1 Ω·cm²Zirfon0.30 Ω·cm²00.10.20.3 Ω·cm²~3x Lower

Thickness

20% THINNER
Membrane Thickness ComparisonIONZERA350-410 μmZirfon500 μm500 μm scale20-30%thinnerThinner membrane = More compact stacks= Higher power density

9-day solar-coupled operation with our Electrodes

9 daysContinuous solar cycles
~570 mA/cm2Peak current density
None measurableCycle-over-cycle drift

Our bifunctional NiCo electrode (on Ni foam, electroless-deposited) was tested in an AEM cell driven directly by a PV-irradiance-derived current schedule. Solar radiation data from sunrise to sunset was sampled, converted into a current-density profile peaking near 570 mA/cm2, and applied to the cell for nine continuous days at 40 deg C in 30 wt% KOH. The cell voltage tracked the input profile without offset and showed no measurable cycle-over-cycle drift on the electrode.

The run used a commercial Zirfon separator (500 um) as the membrane reference. Pairing the same electrode with IONZERA - our own next-gen separator at 0.09-0.1 ohm-cm2 - reduces the membrane voltage drop further at the same current density, directly improving the kWh-per-kg-H2 number on PV-coupled green-hydrogen systems. See the full electrode product page at /electrodes.

  • Daily ramp-up, ramp-down, and overnight rest cycles do not compromise the NiCo electrode or the Zirfon separator.
  • Bifunctional electrode tolerates the full transient envelope of direct PV-electrolyzer coupling without a battery buffer.
  • Same electrode is used on both anode and cathode - a single product line for solar-coupled hydrogen plants.
From our Electrodes9 DAYS

Validation data

PV-derived current schedule · 9 days · our NiCo electrode

9-Day Solar-Coupled OperationAEM testbed · 40°C · 30 wt% KOH · current density from PV irradiance0.570j (A/cm²)1.951.40V (cell)1.80 V0123456789Time (days)9 days · no driftPV irradiance → current-density schedule applied to AEM stack with commercial Zirfon.
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