TY  - JOUR
AU  - Grube, Thomas
AU  - Reul, Julian
AU  - Reuss, Markus
AU  - Calnan, Sonya
AU  - Monnerie, Nathalie
AU  - Schlatmann, Rutger
AU  - Sattler, Christian
AU  - Robinius, Martin
AU  - Stolten, Detlef
TI  - A Techno-Economic Perspective on Solar-to-Hydrogen Concepts through 2025
JO  - Sustainable energy & fuels
VL  - 4
IS  - 11
SN  - 2398-4902
CY  - Cambridge
PB  - Royal Society of Chemistry
M1  - FZJ-2020-01976
SP  - 5818 - 5834
PY  - 2020
AB  - The transition towards a renewable energy-based society is challenged by spatial and temporal imbalances of energy demand and supply. Storage properties and versatility may favor hydrogen to serve as the linking element between renewable energy generation and a variety of sector coupling options. This paper examines four alternative solar-based hydrogen production concepts based on concentrated solar (CSP) or photovoltaic (PV) power generation and solid oxide (SOE) or polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysis, namely, CSP-SOE and CSP-PEM, as well as PV-PEM concepts with (PV-PEM I) or without (PV-PEM II) power converters coupling both devices. In this paper, we analyze these concepts in terms of their techno-economic performance in order to determine the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) for the target year 2025, based on different locations with different climate conditions. The analysis was carried out using a broadly applicable computer model based on an hourly resolved time-series of temperature and irradiance. The lowest LCOH was identified in the case of the CSP-SOE and CSP-PEM concepts with 14–17 €-ct per kW per h at high-irradiance locations, which clearly exceed the US Department of Energy (DOE) target of 6 $-ct per kW per h for the year 2020. Moreover, CSP-SOE also shows the highest hydrogen production volumes and, therefore, solar-to-hydrogen efficiencies. Considering the PV-PEM concepts, we found that the application of power converters for the electrical coupling of PV modules and electrolyzers does not contribute to cost reduction due to the higher related investment costs. A further system optimization is suggested regarding the implementation of short-term energy storage, which might be particularly relevant at locations with higher fluctuations in power supply.
LB  - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
UR  - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000582936800039
DO  - DOI:10.1039/D0SE00896F
UR  - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/875358
ER  -