The large-scale integration of renewable energy sources poses significant challenges to the stability and flexibility of existing power systems. The electricity-hydrogen coupling, particularly through electrolyzers and fuel cells, presents a promising solution. However, the operational paradigm—whether these systems are managed independently or in a coordinated manner—critically impacts their overall effectiveness for sustainable energy integration. This study establishes a unified optimization framework to quantitatively compare these two operational modes. Our analysis, based on typical seasonal days, demonstrates that the coordinated electricity-hydrogen mode delivers superior performance across technical, economic, and environmental dimensions. It facilitates a fundamental shift from a “source-follows-load” to a “multi-source coordination” paradigm, resulting in a substantial increase in annual net profit and raising the renewable energy utilization rate to 99.78%. Furthermore, the coordinated mode reduces carbon emissions by 13.3% and exhibits stronger robustness against energy price fluctuations and source-load uncertainties. Sensitivity analysis confirms its heightened responsiveness to carbon pricing signals. This work provides critical insights and a practical methodology for optimizing electricity-hydrogen systems, underscoring the vital role of coordinated operation in achieving a sustainable and resilient energy future.
Han et al. (Sun,) studied this question.