Sizing Strategy for Green Hydrogen Production: Maximizing PV Utilization and Electrolyzer Efficiency

Green hydrogen production from solar photovoltaic (PV) power is central to decarbonization strategies. European regulations mandate a temporal correlation between renewable energy generation and electrolyzer operation, currently on a monthly basis. This paper presents a sizing methodology to determine the optimal power ratio between a PV plant and an electrolyzer to comply with these regulations. This sizing ratio is defined by the month with the lowest solar resource availability. A techno-economic analysis for a case study demonstrates that the ratio derived from this energy balance approach is closely aligned with the ratio that minimizes the Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH) under various electricity pricing scenarios. The methodology provides a robust framework for designing economically viable and compliant green hydrogen systems. Operational strategies involving real-time estimation algorithms are identified as a necessary next step for future work but are beyond the scope of this paper.