Techno‐Economic and Environmental Performance of Solar‐Driven Green Hydrogen Production: Influence of Photovoltaic Technology and Electrolyzer Selection Under Tropical Climatic Conditions

ABSTRACT Green hydrogen produced through renewable energy‐powered water electrolysis is a promising pathway for decarbonizing future energy systems. However, the performance, economic feasibility, and environmental implications of integrated photovoltaic (PV) hydrogen systems under tropical climatic conditions remain insufficiently explored. This study presents a comprehensive techno‐economic and environmental assessment of nine solar‐driven hydrogen production configurations integrating three PV technologies: monocrystalline silicon (m‐Si), polycrystalline silicon (p‐Si), and amorphous silicon thin film (a‐Si), with three electrolyzer technologies: proton exchange membrane (PEM), alkaline (ALK), and solid oxide electrolyzer (SOEL). The analysis is based on 1 year of measured photovoltaic electrical output from the PEARL Laboratory, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia. The hydrogen production and solar‐to‐hydrogen efficiency figures reported here are model‐based estimates derived from these measured PV data; the PEM, ALK, and SOEL units were not physically operated. The results indicate that the p‐Si–SOEL configuration achieves the highest hydrogen production of 43.85 kg/year and solar‐to‐hydrogen efficiency of 7.98%. Economically, the p‐Si system records the lowest levelized cost of energy at $0.072/kWh, while m‐Si–ALK achieves the lowest levelized cost of hydrogen at $22.48/kg. Environmentally, m‐Si–ALK exhibits the lowest lifecycle emission intensity of 7.2 kg CO 2 /kg H 2 , while p‐Si yields the highest carbon mitigation potential. These findings establish a critical foundation for the strategic selection of optimal PV–electrolyzer configurations, offering actionable guidance for researchers, investors, and policymakers advancing sustainable green hydrogen production in tropical regions.