At the 2017 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program recognized the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's photoelectrochemical (PEC) research team for achievement in the area of Hydrogen Production and Delivery.

The PEC research team, including HydroGEN capability experts Todd Deutsch, James Young, and Myles Steiner, was recognized for their outstanding scientific achievement—a new world record in solar-to-hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiency in their innovative PEC device structure. Building on NREL's previous PEC record of 12.4% STH conversion efficiency established in the 1990s, the team implemented state-of-the-art innovations in materials synthesis and surface engineering to optimize performance, achieving the new world record of 16.2% STH conversion efficiency. This important accomplishment is recognized in their 2017 peer-reviewed article published in the prestigious Nature Energy journal.

View all of the 2017 award recipients.