Dynamic Comparative Assessment of Long-Term Simulation Strategies for an Off-Grid PV–AEM Electrolyzer System

Roberta Caponi (), Domenico Vizza, Claudia Bassano, Luca Del Zotto and Enrico Bocci
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Roberta Caponi: Department of Engineering Science, Guglielmo Marconi University, Via Paolo Emilio 29, 00192 Rome, Italy
Domenico Vizza: Department of Engineering Science, Guglielmo Marconi University, Via Paolo Emilio 29, 00192 Rome, Italy
Claudia Bassano: ENEA—Italian Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Via Anguillarese 301, 00123 Rome, Italy
Luca Del Zotto: CREAT—Energy Research Center, eCampus University, 22060 Novedrate, Italy
Enrico Bocci: Department of Engineering Science, Guglielmo Marconi University, Via Paolo Emilio 29, 00192 Rome, Italy

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 15, 1-18

Abstract: Among the various renewable-powered pathways for green hydrogen production, solar photovoltaic (PV) technology represents a particularly promising option due to its environmental sustainability, widespread availability, and declining costs. However, the inherent intermittency of solar irradiance presents operational challenges for electrolyzers, particularly in terms of stability and efficiency. This study presents a MATLAB-based dynamic model of an off-grid, DC-coupled solar PV-Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) electrolyzer system, with a specific focus on realistically estimating hydrogen output. The model incorporates thermal energy management strategies, including electrolyte pre-heating during startup, and accounts for performance degradation due to load cycling. The model is designed for a comprehensive analysis of hydrogen production by employing a 10-year time series of irradiance and ambient temperature profiles as inputs. The results are compared with two simplified scenarios: one that does not consider the equipment response time to variable supply and another that assumes a fixed start temperature to evaluate their impact on productivity. Furthermore, to limit the effects of degradation, the algorithm has been modified to allow the non-sequential activation of the stacks, resulting in an improvement of the single stack efficiency over the lifetime and a slight increase in overall hydrogen production.

Keywords: hydrogen production from PV; anion exchange membrane; electrolyzer; operation strategy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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