Optimizing a Sustainable Power System with Green Hydrogen Energy Storage for Telecommunication Station Loads

Telecommunication stations situated in rural areas often rely on diesel generators as their primary energy source to meet electricity demand, given the absence of a power grid. However, this heavy dependence on diesel generators leads to escalated operational and maintenance expenses, while exacerbating global warming through greenhouse gas emissions. This paper proposes a shift towards a 100% hybrid renewable energy system integrated with hydrogen energy storage as a sustainable alternative. The proposed system incorporates photovoltaic (PV) panels, wind turbines, an electrolyzer, a fuel cell, a hydrogen tank, and a converter. Using HOMER Pro software, the optimal sizing of the system was determined, resulting in a configuration with 12.3 kW PV capacity, two 10 kW wind turbines, a 10kW fuel cell, a 20 kW electrolyzer, a 5 kg hydrogen tank, and a 17.3 kW converter. This configuration achieved a net present cost (NPC) of $155,705 and a cost of energy (COE) of $0.388/kWh, offering substantial cost-effectiveness. Compared to the base case relying solely on diesel generators, the system could avoid approximately 31,081 kg of CO₂ emissions annually. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the impact of meteorological variations on the system’s economic outputs. The findings of this comprehensive study demonstrate the proposed hybrid system's feasibility in terms of both environmental sustainability and economic viability, presenting a sustainable alternative for off-grid telecommunication stations.