Design of Grid Connected-PV System for a Hydrogen Refueling Station

This paper describes the design of a 14 kW grid-tied photovoltaic system for powering a hydrogen generation and refueling station that is being constructed at the Las Vegas Valley Water District. The fixed array layout is determined by considering the available space, aesthetics and impact of shading on annual energy production. Computer simulations using PV-DesignPro software and area hourly solar radiation data are conducted to simulate the energy flow into and out of the electric utility grid for different profiles of hydrogen use. Stand-alone system operation is also simulated to estimate the maximum amount of hydrogen that can be produced under limited storage.