Thermo-economic performance maps of green hydrogen production via water electrolysis powered by ranges of solar and wind energies

A sensitivity analysis of climate conditions for green hydrogen production systems using a water electrolyzer powered by photovoltaic (PV) panels/wind turbines is investigated. Roadmaps are presented based on system performance, generated power, hydrogen production, payback period (PBP), and levelized cost of hydrogen production (LCOH) under different solar radiation and wind speed values. The study is performed at the constant total land area for (I) PV only, (II) wind turbine only, (III) hybrid PV and wind turbine having equal areas, (IV) hybrid with wind turbine area is double PV area, and (V) hybrid with PV area is double wind turbine area for solar intensity varies from 0 to 800 W/m² and wind speed from 1 to 11 m/s. The study results simply illustrate the maps of the studied system performance, production, and cost parameters. PV system at higher solar intensity yields higher overall system efficiency, hydrogen production density, and electric power density with higher LCOH and longer PBP compared with wind turbines system at higher wind speeds. System hydrogen production density, output power density, system efficiency, LCOH, and PBP vary from 0.23 to 3.91 kg/m², from 15.5 to 260 kWh/m², from 12.5% to 35%, from 1 to 8 $/kg, and from 2.85 to 19.75 years, respectively.