Modeling and analysis of a solar thermal-photovoltaic-hydrogen-based hybrid power system for running a standalone cold storage

Abstract

In this paper, a solar-hydrogen-based hybrid power system has been proposed to run a remotely located cold storage facility for developing countries on a sustainable basis. The proposed system includes an array of parabolic trough collectors with short-term thermal storage, an array of solar photovoltaic modules, an electrolyzer bank, compressed hydrogen storage, and a proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack to satisfy the thermal and electrical demands of a standalone multi-commodity cold storage. The cold storage is operated on a double-effect vapor absorption refrigeration system. A mathematical model of the integrated system has been developed and validated against a reference study available in the literature. The proposed system has been analyzed from the energy, economic, and environmental point-of-view. The study reveals that after meeting the in-house power requirements of the proposed cold storage facility, the designed power system can produce 2.17 MWh of surplus energy, which can be used to support the load during an exigency. The carbon dioxide mitigation potential of the proposed power system is estimated to be about 350 tons that can save an annual carbon tax of $ 5067. The estimated payback period of about seven years indicates the economic viability of the integrated system.