Renewable Energy-Based Micro-Grid for Clean Electricity and Green Hydrogen Production

The expected rise in hydrogen use offers a chance to speed up the decarbonization of the power generation sector. In this study, a linear programming optimization model is developed to determine the optimal technology capacity for a power and hydrogen production system driven by 100% renewable energy serving 25,000 capita with a total annual power demand of 532 GWh and an annual hydrogen demand of 5255 tons. The model aims to identify the optimal capacities of renewable energy sources and energy storage technologies to minimize system costs while meeting the demand for electricity and hydrogen. The results show the optimal system includes 59 MW of wind turbines, 630 MW of solar PV panels, 368 MW of polymer electrolyte membrane electrolyzer, 126 MW of proton exchange membrane fuel cells, 163 MW of lithium-ion batteries, and 111,000 m³ of hydrogen storage. The total annualized system cost is $182 million, with electricity priced at $0.29 per kWh and green hydrogen at $5 per kg. By integrating hydrogen production with renewable energybased power generation, It is concluded that a 100% renewable energy-driven system can meet the power and hydrogen demand for a sustainable community with the environmental benefit of zero carbon emissions, albeit with a higher price for a unit of power.