Assessment of a Stand-alone Hybrid PV-Hydrogen Based Electric Vehicle Charging Station Model Using HOMER

Abstract

Amongst all introduced renewable resources, hydrogen is one of the most encouraging contenders for meeting energy demands. Hydrogen is the most eco-friendly fuel. Hydrogen is a clean and effective energy carrier, and a hydrogen-based economy is extensively considered as a practical solution for energy security and sustainability in the future. Due to its richness and diverse production resources, hydrogen, is becoming an increasingly possible clean and green alternative for energy storage and transportation. As the existing demand for energy soars, hydrogen has grown into the most important source. This article introduces a techno-economic assessment of a novel stand-alone hybrid PV-hydrogen energy-based charging station in Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan, to meet daily charging demand for plug-in Electric Vehicles (EV). The proposed design is modelled and simulated using HOMER software to investigate the conceptual system. The hybrid PV-hydrogen-battery energy system was witnessed to be more cost-effective than the PV-hydrogen energy system, with a unit cost of electricity of 0.379 Rs/kWh versus 0.432 Rs/kWh for the PV-hydrogen energy system. With a daily load demand of 1750 kWh/day, the simulation results showed that total electricity production consists of power generated by solar PV (89.4%) and fuel-cells (10.6%). These outcomes indicate that a renewable-energy-powered EV charging station is cost-effective for the proposed site.