Evaluation of the hydrogen/oxygen and thermoelectric production of a hybrid solar PV/T-electrolyzer system

In order to achieve a sustainable, low-carbon energy future, it is necessary to develop innovative and integrated solutions. However, one of the main obstacles to the advancement of renewable energy is storage. With this in mind, hybrid systems combining solar energy and hydrogen production have great potential. This article focuses on the evaluation of a solar PV/T (photovoltaic-thermal) system coupled with an electrolyser for the joint production of hydrogen and heat. Simulations are performed in MATLAB. The analysis reveals that with PV/T power supply, the production potential is estimated at 179.6 W and 551.9 W respectively for electrical and thermal power. An in-depth study aimed at optimizing the system by evaluating the quality of the energy used in the water electrolysis process makes it possible to analyze the effect of certain operating parameters. With a water flow of 5.7 $\times {10}^{-3}$ $m^3/h$, a current density of 200 mA/ ${\text{cm}}^2$ and an electrolyzer temperature of 60 °C, the monthly production of hydrogen and oxygen reaches the maximum values of 4.85 $m^3$ and 2.42 $m^3$ respectively. This led to a maximum exergy efficiency of 57.8 %. This study demonstrates the linearity between hydrogen production and current density which at high density reduces exergy performance.