Techno-economic analysis and optimization of agrivoltaic systems for green hydrogen production in diverse climates

Abstract

This study investigates the techno-economic feasibility of green hydrogen production with a PEM electrolyzer integrated with agrivoltaics (APV) across four sites representing Iran's main climatic regions: Behshahr (mild and humid), Zanjan (cold), Isfahan (warm and dry), and Bushehr (warm and humid). Three agrivoltaic configurations—fixed, mono-axial, and vertical—were evaluated, each with three different row spacings (pitches). PVsyst was employed for solar energy generation modeling and shading analysis, AquaCrop was utilized to assess water efficiency and irrigation requirements, and the AgriPV tool was used for crop yield simulation. HOMER Pro simulated the overall system performance, including hydrogen production and economic analysis. The energy generated was allocated to meet water pumping requirements for irrigation, with the remaining energy directed toward hydrogen production. The levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) across scenarios ranged from $2.92 to $6.69 per kilogram. The optimal scenario, identified through a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach, features a fixed agrivoltaic system with a 5-m pitch in Isfahan. Assuming a hydrogen selling price of $4 per kilogram, this 20-year project achieves a payback period of 12 years and a net present value (NPV) of $814,000. Compared to conventional practices, the optimal scenario achieved a 27 % decrease in total tomato crop yield while reducing total water consumption by 40 %. Notably, it demonstrated significant improvements in both energy and agricultural efficiency, as reflected by a land equivalent ratio (LER) of 1.63. Although the cost of hydrogen production was 3 % higher than that of a standard solar hydrogen facility, the agrivoltaic system outperformed in resource efficiency and land productivity, underscoring its potential as a sustainable and integrated solution.