Techno-Economic Analysis of Water Electrolysis for Hydrogen Production Through RES

Integrating photovoltaic generation, battery storage and water electrolysis provides a promising pathway for converting variable renewable electricity into storable hydrogen. This study evaluates an integrated laboratory-scale photovoltaic-battery-hydrogen system comprising renewable generation, lithium-ion battery storage, load-dependent power conversion equipment, an anion exchange membrane electrolyzer, hydrogen storage, and supervisory monitoring. Photovoltaic performance was assessed against measured operating data, while analytical loss models were used to represent converter and inverter behavior. Electrolyzer operation was experimentally characterized in terms of stack power, hydrogen flow, pressure, and energy efficiency. An annuity-based economic assessment combines a typical-year model of the three installed PV subarrays with an idealized rated-operation hydrogen scenario. After the assumed conversion, battery and standby losses, the scenario gives 4939.9 kWh/year at the electrolyzer AC input and an upper-bound hydrogen output of 92.52 kg/year. For a 10-year economic horizon, a 1% real discount rate and the specified replacement schedule, the preliminary LCOE is 0.40 €/kWh and the preliminary LCOH is 52.07 €/kg. The selected-day PV comparisons reproduced several generation-profile features, with agreement varying between subarrays, while the power conversion measurements showed improved efficiency as equipment loading increased. The electrolyzer demonstrated a stable relationship between electrical demand and hydrogen production after the initial transient period, while coordinated operation of the photovoltaic array, battery, electrolyzer, and grid backup was successfully demonstrated. The preliminary LCOH assessment identified the annualized capital cost of the hydrogen production and storage subsystem as the dominant cost contributor. Overall, the experiments demonstrate coordinated operation of the laboratory-scale architecture and indicate that hydrogen production costs are strongly influenced by equipment utilization, operating strategy, and system scale.