Performance Analysis of Hybrid Solar/H2/Battery Renewable Energy System for Residential Electrification

Due to the privileged location of Ecuador in terms of solar radiation, the analysis and use of renewable energy system (RES) using solar energy has been of great interest during the last years. At the same time, the supply support of RES in terms of direct current (DC) can be faced by using fuel cell (FC) systems which can give to the systems fully autonomy from fossil fuels. The aim of this paper is to propose the design of a hybrid photovoltaic-fuel cell-battery (PV-FC-B) system to supply the required electrical energy for residential use in the city of Guayaquil. The feasibility analysis, constitutive elements of the system, and adjusted variables are computed and presented using a computational tool. The results evidence that this system is not economically viable since the cost of energy (COE) in Ecuador is low compared to the COE of the proposed system. However, a more detailed analysis considering the inherent benefits of no emission of pollutant gases is required to have a complete outlook.