Solar hydrogen production via alkaline water electrolysis

Electricity generation via direct conversion of solar energy with zero carbon dioxide emission is essential from the aspect of energy supply security as well as from the aspect of environmental protection. Therefore, this paper presents a system for hydrogen production via water electrolysis using a 960 Wp solar power plant. The results obtained from the monitoring of photovoltaic modules mounted in pairs on a fixed, a single-axis and a dual-axis solar tracker were examined to determine if there is a possibility to couple them with an electrolyzer. Energy performance of each photovoltaic system was recorded and analyzed during a period of one year, and the data were monitored on an online software service. Estimated parameters, such as monthly solar irradiance, solar electricity production, optimal angle, monthly ambient temperature, and capacity factor were compared to the observed data. In order to get energy efficiency as high as possible, a novel alkaline electrolyzer of bipolar design was constructed. Its design and operating UI characteristic are described. The operating UI characteristics of photovoltaic modules were tuned to the electrolyzer operating UI characteristic to maximize production. The calculated hydrogen rate of production was 1.138 g per hour. During the study the system produced 1.234 MWh of energy, with calculated of 1.31 MWh, which could power 122 houses, and has offset 906 kg of carbon or an equivalent of 23 trees. (C) 2018 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.