Abstract
Hydrogen (H2) production using a stand-alone microgrid composed of wind, photovoltaic (PV), and energy storage systems is gaining growing attention due to its environmentally pollution-free feature. However, because of the intermittent and random characteristics of renewable energy, the sizing of the system highly influences its safe, stable, and economical operation. So far, this problem hasn’t been addressed in both industry and academia. In this regard, an optimal sizing method for the electrolyzer and energy storage unit of a stand-alone microgrid with fixed wind and PV power generations is proposed. Under the constraints of the state of charge of the energy storage unit, the safe operation of the electrolyzer, and the optimal power allocation of the whole system, the best system profit and highly stable operation are achieved through optimization modeling and problem-solving. An example wind-PV-energy storage stand-alone hydrogen production system composed of 2MW wind power and 1MW PV power is developed. The electrolyzer, energy storage unit and hydrogen tank are sized following the proposed method.