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This study evaluates the economic and operational performance of a grid-connected hydrogen refueling station (HRS) integrating photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbine (WT) systems in Guangdong, China. The proposed configuration includes renewable power generation, a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, compressor, pre-cooling unit, dispenser, and hydrogen storage tanks for on-site hydrogen production and refueling. Local solar radiation, ambient temperature, and wind speed data were used to estimate renewable electricity generation and assess system behavior under hydrogen demand levels of 100-400 kg H2/day. A techno-economic model was developed to calculate capital cost, operating cost, and the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) for PV, WT, and hybrid PV/WT configurations over different project lifetimes. The results show that PV-based systems perform better than wind-based and hybrid alternatives under Guangdong's resource conditions. At a refueling capacity of 400 kg H2/day, the 5 MW PV system supplied 80% of the station electricity demand from renewable energy, compared with 69% for the hybrid system and 17% for the wind-only system. The lowest LCOH was obtained for the 5 MW PV configuration over a 20-year lifetime, reaching 4.5 €/kg H2, while the hybrid and wind-based cases resulted in higher hydrogen costs. These findings indicate that PV-dominant grid-connected HRS designs are the most cost-effective option for Guangdong and highlight the importance of site-specific renewable resource assessment in hydrogen infrastructure planning.
Li et al. (Fri,) studied this question.