Size Optimisation of a Hydrogen Production System Using Surplus Electricity from a Photovoltaic Generator in a Mediterranean Climate

The growing demand for energy and the depletion of fossil fuels mean that we need to find new, clean and sustainable sources of energy. Renewable energies, particularly solar power, could be the answer. However, one of the main drawbacks of solar energy is its intermittent nature. For permanent use, it is therefore necessary to store some of the energy produced, and one storage method is hydrogen. Surplus electricity can be used to produce hydrogene by water electrolysis. This hydrogen could then be stored and converted back into electricity when needed, using a fuel cell (FC). The aim of our study is to develop hydrogen storage for surplus electricity generated by a photovoltaic system installed in Meknes Higher School of Technology. The potential for storing electricity in the form of hydrogen produced by electrolysis has been evaluated, and the results obtained show that our PV/FC system produced a total energy of around 13.447 MWh and a quantity of hydrogen of 73.32 kg during 2022, with minimal carbon emissions.