Hydrogen Carriers for Renewable Microgrid System Applications

Utility-scale energy storage can help improve grid reliability, reduce costs, and promote faster adoption of intermittent sources such as solar and wind. This paper analyzes the technical aspects and economics of standalone microgrids operating on intermittent power combined with hydrogen energy storage. It explores the feasibility of using dibenzyltoluene (DBT) as a liquid organic hydrogen carrier to absorb excess energy during periods of high supply and polymer electrolyte fuel cells to generate electrical energy during periods of low supply. A comparative analysis is conducted on three power demand scenarios (industrial, residential, and office), in conjunction with three alternative energy sources: solar, wind and wind–solar mix. A mixed system of solar and wind energy can maintain an annual average efficiency above 70%, except for residential power demand, which lowered the efficiency to 67%. A balanced combination of wind and solar power was the most cost-effective option. The current levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for industrial power demand was estimated to 15 ¢/kWh, and it is projected to decrease to 9 ¢/kWh in the future. For residential power demand, the LCOE was 45% higher due to the demand profile. In comparison, battery storage is significantly more expensive than hydrogen storage, even with future cost projections, increasing the LCOE between 60 and 120 ¢/kWh.