A comparison of energy storage from renewable sources through batteries and fuel cells: A case study in Turin, Italy

In this paper, two alternative integrated power systems were considered: one based on photovoltaic and hydrogen technology (electrolyzer coupled with a fuel cell), the other based on photovoltaic and batteries. The two systems, designed for off-grid applications, were sized for a photovoltaic energy production in the area of Turin, Italy, to provide 3 kW maximum power, with an average daily consumption of 10.25 kWh. The systems were compared from a technical and economical point of view and a Life Cycle Assessment analysis (LCA) was performed, to identify the main contributors to the environmental impact of the systems. From a commercial point of view, fuel cell and the electrolyzer are niche products, so the hydrogen-based power system results to be more expensive with respect to Li-ion batteries. From the environmental point of view, however, LCA results show the lower burdens of the hydrogen technology. (C) 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.