Using Solar Power To Generate Electricity and Hydrogen

Was so hoping the knowledgeable here could take a look at this story.

https://newatlas.com/solar-hydrogen-electricity-device/52329/

Here is their source.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405829717303252

Was hoping to get professional opinion and further direction. I did not go beyond the abstract. So much is reported that never really pans out. More of the same? Or some potential? Hard to say?

The specific device for conversion is new to me.

However w/o co-opting the OP, the links referenced essentially identified hydrogen as a desirable energy source.
Hydrogen as an energy source has been debated for some time. in particular for vehicular activity.
Notably the head of Toyota gave an interview recently in which he stated that future was NOT in all-electric vehicles.
Rather the future was in hydrogen-powered vehicles.
His argument was that solar and wind power fluctuates excessively. hence a storage medium is needed.
In his vision, when the solar and wind electric power exceeds the demand, the best way to utilize that excess electric power was to hydrolyze water.
The resulting hydrogen would be fed into a distribution system for hydrogen-based automobiles.

Why did he not believe in all-electric vehicles? Charging batteries is slow. Hydrogen can be 'tanked' in about the same time as gasoline.
Much worse is the effect of high-power electric charging stations on the electric grid.

Interesting and appreciated.

Kind of gave up on hydrogen maybe 10 years ago, but always hoped something could be done with solar to make fuel locally without heavy complications. There is the issue of hydrogen embrittlement to metal storage tanks, yes? And that energetic thing that can happen when hydrogen mixes with oxygen...

Having lived with home solar in the past (photovoltaics and passive heat gain) for about 15 years, the idea that when the batteries are finished charging for the day, then a fuel could be made to cook and heat with (and possibly run a vehicle?), well that is far superior than hauling propane and seeing your PV system in idle because there is nowhere for the energy to be stored. Buying a bunch of battery capacity is just not appealing, partly because of the expense, but also contemporary batteries do not live all that long.

In the articles, I did not see any efficiency figures. Was hoping someone subscribed to sciencedirect.com could fill us in. Guessing it is low, plus wondering what maintenance would be required. Right now it looks like an Egyptian/UCLA group working on this.

One can hope.