During our own analysis of how a battery energy storage system (BESS) could improve green hydrogen economics, PXiSE found that solar PV power paired with a BESS would enable a green hydrogen electrolyzer to start up as soon as (or slightly before) solar PV production began, keep the electrolyzer running through variable solar PV production times, and would result in a 20% improvement in usable MWh over a system without a BESS. Powering an electrolyzer with solar PV without a BESS could be made to work through conservative solar scheduling and curtailment practices. However, this was at the expense of wasted power which could otherwise be utilized if a BESS was in place. Our Utility Dive article, “How a BESS can improve green hydrogen economics” tells the story.
