Regenerative hydrogen energy storage modelling for northern microgrid energy design

This work aims to address barriers and unknowns in green hydrogen energy storage modelling for remote northern communities. This hydrogen model exceeds the capabilities of existing models by providing detail, flexibility, and transparency. In addition to electrical energy tracking, this includes degradation modelling, water management, compression, and thermal energy accounting which considers local environmental temperature. The integration of these features within a fully developed microgrid electricity model is unique to this model and fills a critical gap in the field of microgrid energy storage modelling. To showcase these novel model capabilities, an arctic community case study was conducted to provide generally conclusive insight for the field of northern energy planning. In this case study, the baseline comparison of this model against industry standard software resulted in a difference of 10% in hydrogen utilization and 0.4% in renewable energy captivation due to differing dispatch protocol algorithms. Results also revealed wind as a superior renewable energy source for hydrogen energy storage integration and drawbacks surrounding seasonal green hydrogen storage. These outcomes successfully present novel insights on green hydrogen’s potential role in decarbonizing remote communities in Canada, along with a valuable model for its exploration, by incorporating important practical systems aspects.