Capacity Optimization and Economic Analysis of an Off-Grid Wind Solar Hydrogen Production System Including Carbon Trading

The paper primarily addresses the capacity optimization and configuration problem of wind and solar off-grid hydrogen production system. Firstly, the simulation models of each device was established, including the wind turbine, PV array, energy storage system, and alkaline electrolyzer. Secondly, a reasonable system operation strategy was designed and an economic model to optimize economics was established, and then use the gray wolf algorithm to solve the economic models of three Cases (case1: 2 MW WT + 1 MW PV, case2: 2 MW WT, case3: 1 MW PV). Finally, obtain the optimized capacity of the system and other significant economic indicators such as total revenue, hydrogen production, and generated power. The results show that in case 1, the system energy conversion efficiency is the highest, which is 52%. The capacity of the alkaline electrolyzer, lithium battery, and H2 tank are 986 kW, 346 kW, and 3290 kg respectively. On the contrary, the system efficiency is the lowest in case 3, which is 29%. Furthermore, the three cases were compared taking carbon trading into account, and the result was that case 1 still had the best economic benefits.