AEM-electrolyzer based hydrogen integrated renewable energy system optimisation model for distributed communities

The development of sustainable and renewable energy technologies has received significant attention to realize Net-Zero CO2 equivalent emission goals and meet the growing energy demand. Hydrogen is a promising energy carrier that can facilitate the large-scale deployment of renewable energy sources and assist in the replacement of fossil fuels and to reduce the impact of global warming. The objective of this research is to present an advanced hydrogen-integrated renewable energy system model to meet the energy demand of a distributed community and produce green hydrogen from excess/curtailed renewable energy. The study employs an anion exchange membrane water electrolyzer (AEM) for producing hydrogen. An optimization model of the renewable energy system and a mathematical model of the electrolyzer are developed to achieve this objective. The model uses an energy maximisation approach and optimally combines wind system, biogas plant, and solar PV system to meet the residential and commercial load demands. To increase the system stability, the model is interconnected with the local grid station for energy exchange. Moreover, an uncertainty analysis is also performed to analyse the system response under random variation in load demand. The study results show that a significant amount of clean energy (15,025 MWh/year) is produced by the system at the lowest levelized cost of 0.084 €/kWh and a reduction of 6,078 tons of CO2 emission during the first year of operation is obtained. The electrolyzer produces 63 kg/hr of hydrogen, while the cell performance remains stable at 60 °C and the cell voltage reaches 2.019 V at 2.415 A/cm2 current density.