Erdiwansyah, Muhammad Nizar, Muhibbuddin, Nur Mahda, Wahyu Khafidah, Rizalman Mamat
Decentralised and disaster-resilient household energy systems are increasingly required to reduce the vulnerability of centralised electricity infrastructure during emergencies. This study develops and experimentally evaluates an integrated photoelectrochemical–biovoltaic hybrid system that utilises solar irradiation and mixed household organic waste for sustainable electricity generation. In this study, biovoltaic refers to a microbial-assisted bioelectrochemical process in which electroactive microorganisms oxidise organic waste substrates and transfer electrons to the anode for electricity generation. Unlike conventional algal biophotovoltaic (BPV) systems, the proposed system primarily relies on mixed microbial consortia and waste-derived bioelectrochemical reactions. The present study investigates the electrical performance, operational stability, and recovery capability of the hybrid system under varying light intensities (200–1000 lux), organic waste concentrations (1–7 g L−1), pH conditions (5.0–7.0), operating temperatures (20–38 °C), and external load resistances (50–350 Ω). The results show that increasing light intensity enhances the output voltage from 0.285 V to 0.43 V and the current from 0.85 mA to 1.40 mA. Increasing organic waste concentration increased the power density from approximately 14 mW m−2 to nearly 40 mW m−2, while electrical power output increased from approximately 0.24 mW to 0.60 mW. Optimal performance was achieved at pH ≈ 6.2 and an external resistance of approximately 200 Ω. Continuous operation over 7 days produced stable daily energy outputs of 1.2–1.6 Wh, with cumulative energy generation reaching approximately 10 Wh and average power output of 66–67 mW. The system also demonstrated stable recovery behaviour, with voltage and current recovering from 0.28 V to 0.90 mA to approximately 0.40 V and 1.30 mA within 6 h after operational interruption. Overall, the hybrid system exhibited improved electrical performance, stable short-term operation, and rapid recovery under laboratory-scale conditions, demonstrating its potential as a supplementary low-power energy source for decentralised and emergency household-support applications. © 2026 Indian Chemical Society.
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Universitas Serambi Mekkah, Banda Aceh, 23245, Indonesia; Centre for Advanced Mobility and Aerospace, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, 26600, Malaysia; Faculty of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering Technology, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, Pahang, Malaysia; Department of Environment Engineering, Universitas Serambi Mekkah, Banda Aceh, 23245, Indonesia; Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, 23111, Indonesia
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