Techno-economic analysis of a hybrid power system based on the cost-effective hydrogen production method for rural electrification, a case study in Iran

Rural electrification challenges in Iran are the most important obstacle to achieve electricity access for the entire population. The current study focuses on finding an optimal renewable energy system to meet the load of a small village by renewable resources. This village faces frequent power outages, common in many far-off villages in Iran. A hybrid photovoltaics/wind turbine/biogas generator/fuel cell renewable energy system is proposed and analyzed for both stand-alone and on-grid application. Fuel cells are used alongside a hydrogen tank, batteries, and a reformer or an electrolyzer, to act as storage devices and backup component. The main goal is to find an optimal configuration that can meet the electricity demand and be satisfactory from both an economic and environmental point of view. The results indicated that using solar, wind and biogas is the most affordable method and that adding fuel cell to this configuration would increase costs by 33–37%, but also improve system flexibility. Using a reformer is more efficient and about 6% less costly, but also creates more pollution. The cost of energy for a stand-alone system with reformer was calculated to be 0.164 to 0.233 $/kWh, while the on-grid system cost of energy was 0.096–0.125 $/kWh. •Techno-enviro-economic Optimization of a hybrid a system for rural electrification.•Comparison between the use of reformer or electrolyzer to provide hydrogen.•Considering both grid-connected and off-grid supplying power methods.•Using TOPSIS method to select the best solution from optimal scenarios.•COE of 0.164–0.233 $/kWh for off-grid unit and 0.096–0.125 $/kWh for on-grid unit.