Optimal Management of a Hydro–Wind Energy System with Hydrogen Storage

The exploitation of renewable energy sources is nowadays a fundamental factor for the sustainable development and the transition to low a carbon energy production system. However, the fluctuating and unpredictable behavior of energy sources like wind complicates their integration into energy systems and they need to be coupled with storage systems to fully exploit their potential. The main objective of this paper is thus to develop a novel Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) algorithm capable of providing the optimal sizing and management of a hydrogen storage unit within a Hybrid Renewable Energy System (HRES) in which the produced energy is sold to the power grid. The algorithm has been validated with data from a case study located in Italy. The Hybrid Renewable Energy System under investigation is constituted by a hydropower plant, a wind turbine and a hydrogen storage system. The latter is composed of a Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, four pressurized hydrogen tanks, and a PEM fuel cell. The optimal management has been obtained by responding to a unit commitment analysis.