A photovoltaic solar-hydrogen power plant for rural electrification in India. Part 1: a general survey of technologies applicable within the solar-hydrogen concept

The utilization of solar energy is a major option to satisfy the energy needs of the future. This article (Part 1) is a general survey of the technologies which it is possible to apply within the so-called solar-hydrogen concept. This report illustrates several routes to convert solar energy to electricity and techniques to store electricity. The main objective is to estimate the costs for erection and operation of a solar-hydrogen power plant design in a near and long perspective, i.e. the years 1995 and 2010. The proposed plant is called the photovoltaic solar-hydrogen power plant (PVSHPP) and is hypothetically located in India for rural electrification. The PVSHPP is divided into two parts: the photovoltaic (PV) system, comprising photovoltaic generator, power conditioning, etc., and the storage system, comprising advanced electrolyser, pressurised gas storage, alkaline fuel cell, etc. The total investment and cost of electricity are estimated for both the PV system and the whole PVSHPP. A PV system with a capacity of around 3.5 MW peak power requires a total investment of about $ (US) 13 million for the year 1995 and $ (US) 5.2 million for the year 2010. This could be cost competitive around the beginning of next century at $ (US) 0.07 kWh−1 at an interest rate of 8% for the year 2010. The PVSHPP has a power capacity of 0.5 MW and will require a total investment of around $ (US) 19 million for the year 1995 and $ (US) 11 million for the year 2010. The cost of electricity comes out as $ (US) 0.27 kWh−1 with an interest rate of 8% for the year 2010.