Hydrogen based Multi Energy Systems: Assessment of the marginal utility of increasing hydrogen penetration on system performances

The potential role of hydrogen as a tool for the decarbonization of the energy sector is widely recognized. In this paper, a comprehensive analysis of the marginal utility of increasing the hydrogen penetration on the energy and environmental performances of a multi-energy system is developed to assess its potential. A distributed energy system satisfying the energy requirements for an existing building is chosen as test case, assumed as representative of a wide set of applications. Starting from real energy consumption profiles, representative scenarios and optimized design configurations are defined using a methodology that takes into account uncertainties both in demand and renewable production profiles and in techno-economic parameters assumptions. For each multi energy system configuration, an optimal dispatch control strategy is achieved through a mixed-integer linear programming method to maximize the building self-independence from the grid. Results show how an increase of hydrogen technologies penetration allows a reduction of the specific carbon footprint of the system down to 100 grCO(2)/kWh while increasing the system resilience up to 85%. Detailed information about the marginal effect of H-2 technologies on resilience, carbon footprint, and fossil energy savings are presented and can be used for extensions to similar applications. (C) 2021 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This paper explores the potential role of hydrogen as a tool for decarbonizing the energy sector and evaluates its impact on the performance of multi-energy systems. The results demonstrate that increasing hydrogen technology penetration can significantly reduce the system's carbon footprint and enhance its resilience.