Techno-economic analysis of green hydrogen as an energy-storage medium for commercial buildings

Abstract

Abstract Green-hydrogen production is vital in mitigating carbon emissions and is being adopted globally. In its transition to a more diverse energy mix with a bigger share for renewable energy, United Arab Emirates (UAE) has committed to investing billions of dollars in the production of green hydrogen. This study presents the results of the techno-economic assessment of a green-hydrogen-based commercial-building microgrid design in the UAE. The microgrid has been designed based on the building load demand, green-hydrogen production potential utilizing solar photovoltaic (PV) energy and discrete stack reversible fuel cell electricity generation during non-PV hours. Given the current market conditions and the hot humid climate of the UAE, a performance analysis is derived to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of this microgrid. The study aims at maximizing both the building microgrid’s independence from the main grid and its renewable fraction. Simulation results indicate that the designed system is capable of meeting three-quarters of its load demand independently from the main grid and is supported by a 78% renewable-energy fraction. The economic analysis demonstrates a 3.117-$/kg levelized cost of hydrogen production and a 0.248-$/kWh levelized cost for storing hydrogen as electricity. Additionally, the levelized cost of system energy was found to be less than the current utility costs in the UAE. Sensitivity analysis shows the significant impact of the capital cost and discount rate on the levelized cost of hydrogen generation and storage.