International Journal of Photoenergy
Volume 2021 (2021), Article ID 6627491, 14 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6627491

Review Article

Comprehensive Investigation of Solar-Based Hydrogen and Electricity Production in Iran

Rasool Kalbasi,¹ Mehdi Jahangiri,² and Ahmad Tahmasebi³

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
²Department of Mechanical Engineering, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
³Research and Development Department, Pars Regulator Company, Tehran, Iran

Correspondence should be addressed to Mehdi Jahangiri; jahangiri.m@iaushk.ac.ir

Received 17 December 2020; Revised 28 April 2021; Accepted 28 May 2021; Published 9 June 2021

Academic Editor: Umapada Pal

Copyright © 2021 Rasool Kalbasi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract.

Hydrogen is a clean and environmentally friendly energy vector that can play an important role in meeting the world’s future energy needs. Therefore, a comprehensive study of the potential for hydrogen production from solar energy could greatly facilitate the transition to a hydrogen economy. Because by knowing the exact amount of potential for solar hydrogen production, the cost-effectiveness of its production can be compared with other methods of hydrogen production. Considering the above, it can be seen that so far no comprehensive study has been done on finding the exact potential of solar hydrogen production in different stations of Iran and finding the most suitable station. Therefore, in the present work, for the first time, using the HOMER and ArcGIS softwares, the technical-economic study of solar hydrogen production at home-scale was done. The results showed that Jask station with a levelized cost of energy equal to $ 0.172 and annual production of 83.8 kg of hydrogen is the best station and Darab station with a levelized cost of energy equal to $ 0.286 and annual production of 50.4 kg of hydrogen is the worst station. According to the results, other suitable stations were Bushehr and Deyr, and other unsuitable stations were Anzali and Khalkhal. Also, in 102 under study stations, 380 MW of solar electricity equivalent to 70.2 tons of hydrogen was produced annually. Based on the geographic information system map, it is clear that the southern half of Iran, especially the coasts of the Persian Gulf and the sea of Oman, is suitable for hydrogen production, and the northern, northeastern, northwestern, and one region in southern of Iran are unsuitable for hydrogen production. The authors of this article hope that the results of the present work will help the energy policymakers to create strategic frameworks and a roadmap for the production of solar hydrogen in Iran.

1. Introduction

1.1. The Necessity of Using Hydrogen

The continuous growth of the world’s population and economy, along with rapid urbanization, has led to a significant increase in energy demand [1–3]. Power supply in the traditional form is based on fossil fuels, which have problems such as not being easy to extract, polluting, and being limited to a specific geographical area [4–6]. Therefore, the use of renewable energy (RE) is essential for the sustainability of future energy and global security [7–9]. Renewable energies, due to the nature of their variability and intermittency, require large energy storage systems to be able to manage supply and demand [10–12]. A good idea, which is a cost-effective solution for storing, transporting, and exporting large-scale RE, is to store hydrogen-based energy [13–15].

The heat generated by each unit of hydrogen mass is 3 times greater than that of gasoline. In addition, in hydrogen combustion, only water vapor is produced. Therefore, hydrogen energy is a suitable solution for future energy needs due to the environmental problems of fossil fuels [16].

An economic evaluation of renewable hydrogen production is very important for evaluating the durability and feasibility of selecting the type of technology. In this regard, the first step is to examine the potential for renewable hydrogen production at the under study site.

1.2. Perspective of Hydrogen Production

Global hydrogen demand in 2013 was reported to be 255.3 billion m³, which in 2020 will reach 342.8 billion m³ [17]. If the hydrogen economy improves, it should attract about $ 70 billion in investment by 2030. It is also noted that the cost of producing and distributing hydrogen from renewable sources will be reduced by 50% over the next decade [18]. It is also noted that hydrogen can meet up to 10% of the global warming demand of buildings by 2050 [19].

As shown in Figure 1 for the share of RE capacity in Iran’s electricity, in April 2020 with 63 power plants, solar energy with 44% has the largest share among all renewable sources in Iran’s electricity production [20]. Therefore, the focus of the present study for investigating the prospect of renewable hydrogen production in Iran is solar energy.

Figure 1: The share of different types of RE in Iran’s electricity generation [20].

1.3. Different Ways of Producing Hydrogen

Today, most of the hydrogen produced (more than 90%) is from fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas, which is considered gray hydrogen and does nothing to reduce CO₂ emissions [21]. Various clean hydrogen production technologies are shown in Figure 2 [21]. As shown, the present study examines the hydrogen produced by the process of electrolysis using solar energy. In other words, the material, method, and energy source used in the present work are marked in yellow in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Different hydrogen production technologies [21].

Water electrolysis is the process of breaking down water into oxygen and hydrogen, which is caused by an electric current. Today, about 4% of the world’s hydrogen is produced by electrolysis. Economically, the cost of producing green hydrogen is 1.5-5 times greater than producing hydrogen from natural gas but with a 50% reduction in the price of electrolysis, as well as a reduction in the price of RE, green hydrogen will eventually become economical and be promoted [18]. The price range of hydrogen production technologies based on the energy source is shown in Figure 3 [21]. Based on the results of Figure 3 for hydrogen produced from solar energy, the price per kilogram will be $ 3.41-16.01 [21]. According to studies conducted by the authors of the present work, the reason for this wide range can be the difference in radiation intensity, cloudiness index, air temperature, the wide price range of different solar cell technologies, etc., in different parts of the world. Despite the high price, solar energy is the most abundant and available type of RE, which makes it a very likely option for future hydrogen production [22].

Figure 3: The price range of hydrogen production technologies based on energy source [21].

The performance ranking of different sources of hydrogen production is shown in Figure 4 [23]. As can be seen, solar energy has the best performance in terms of social, environmental, and reliability performance among different types of RE. Also, in terms of economic performance, solar energy ranks second after hydro energy. In terms of technical performance, after nuclear and wind energy, solar energy is in third place.

Figure 4: Performance ranking of different sources of hydrogen production [23].

1.4. Different Uses of Hydrogen

Reducing carbon and decarbonizing for use in transportation and electricity generation sectors is one of the goals of hydrogen production from various energy sources [18]. As shown in Figure 5, hydrogen can facilitate the connection between electricity and buildings, transportation, and industry [24]. Hydrogen produced from fossil fuels, which is widely used in several industrial sectors such as refineries, ammonia production, and chemical can be technically replaced by renewable hydrogen. In the home sector, injectable hydrogen into the gas network can reduce natural gas consumption. In addition, excess electricity can be converted to hydrogen and used as heat in winter [24]. In the transportation sector, vehicles based on fuel cells (FCs) that consume hydrogen have been considered because of their low carbon production. The important point is that in this regard, due to the limited capacity of batteries for long distances, the market for FC-based vehicles is very expandable [24].

Figure 5: Performance ranking of different sources of hydrogen production [24].

1.5. Electrolysis Technologies in Iran

Electrolysis technologies are classified based on the electrolyte used in the electrolysis cell [25]. Proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis is more common in Iran and is used in transportation, home generators, and small power plants [26] and has the greatest potential in the Iranian market for portable applications [27]. After PEM-type electrolysis, alkaline electrolysis with liquid electrolyte is widely used in Iran due to its high process efficiency. However, due to the possibility of liquid electrolyte leakage, it is not used for transportation, and its use is limited to military industries and small space applications [28].

1.6. Literature Review

In order to achieve a fully developed hydrogen economy and turn hydrogen into an important element for the energy market, extensive and significant research has been conducted on the potential for renewable hydrogen production in various parts of the world. Table 1 shows the literature review of recent studies in Iran.

Table 1: Literature review about renewable hydrogen production in Iran.

Ref.
Purpose
Methodology
Results

Qadrdan and Shayegan 2008 [29]
Economic assessment of hydrogen fueling station in Iran
HOMER software
(i) Hydrogen cost from natural gas: 3-7 $/kg
(ii) Hydrogen cost from electrolysis: 6-10 $/kg

Shiroudi and Taklimi 2011 [30]
Solar hydrogen production in Taleghan, Iran
HOMER software
Excess electricity can be stored in the form of hydrogen

Shiroudi et al. 2013 [31]
Assessment of photovoltaic- (PV-) hydrogen system in Taleghan, Iran
HOMER software
Total net present cost (NPC) and levelized cost of energy (LCOE) are 237509 $ and 3.35 $/kWh, respectively

Nasiri et al. 2015 [32]
Status of hydrogen and FC in Iran
Technological innovation system approach
Supportive laws and regulation are needed for the mobilization of financial resources

Mostafaeipour et al. 2016 [33]
Wind hydrogen production in Fars Province, Iran
Statistical and analytical solution
Abadeh has better potential with producing hydrogen for 22 cars/week

Homayouni et al. 2016 [34]
Techno-econo-enviro assessment of solar hydrogen to supply combined cooling, heat, and power load in Tehran, Iran
Particle swarm optimization simulation
The most economic system has solar and fossil fuel with avoided 75% of CO₂ emission in comparison by standalone diesel system

Fazelpour et al. 2016 [35]
Economic analysis of FC-based in Tehran, Iran
HOMER software
Wind-hydrogen-battery system with total NPC 63190 $ is the most economical system

Alavi et al. 2016 [36]
Wind-hydrogen assessment in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran
Statistical and analytical solution
Highest amount of hydrogen is 39.82 ton/year that related to Lutak station

Ramazankhani et al. 2016 [37]
Hydrogen production from geothermal in Iran
Multicriteria decision-making methods
East Azarbaijan is the best location for hydrogen production

Alavi et al. 2017 [38]
Wind-hydrogen feasibility in Chabahar, Iran
Statistical and analytical solution
Highest amount of hydrogen is 194.36 ton/year that related to Vestas V164 wind turbine

Qolipour et al. 2017 [39]
Wind-solar feasibility for electric and hydrogen production for Hendijan, Iran
HOMER software
3153.7 MWh of electricity and 31680 kg hydrogen are produced

Mostafaeipour et al. 2017 [40]
Assessment of solar-hydrogen in Kerman Province, Iran
Data envelopment analysis (DEA) and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution methods
Lalezar is the first priority

Rezaei et al. 2018 [41]
Hydrogen production from seawater using wind turbine in coasts of Iran
Statistical and analytical solution
Anzali has the best potential, and 22 EWT direct wind 52/900 could produce the hydrogen for all cars in Anzali

Ashrafi et al. 2018 [42]
Hydrogen production from wind in 5 regions of Iran by 3 extrapolating Weibull methods
Statistical and analytical solution, geographic information system (GIS) software
Amount of hydrogen production is shown by GIS maps

Rezaei et al. 2019 [43]
Hydrogen production from wind-solar in 10 cities of Iran
Statistical and analytical solution, RETScreen software
Manjil has the greatest amount of wind hydrogen (91 kg/day), and Zahedan has the greatest amount of solar hydrogen (20 kg/day)

Mostafaeipour et al. 2019 [44]
Wind-hydrogen assessment in Firuzkuh, Iran
HOMER software, DEA, and DEMATEL methods
Annually 1014 kg hydrogen produce by using GE 1.5 sl wind turbine

Jahangiri et al. 2019 [45]
Provision of electricity and hydrogen for Bandar Abbas, Iran
HOMER software
Lowest prices of produced hydrogen and electricity are 0.496 $/kg and 1.55 $/kWh, respectively

1.7. Novelties of Present Work

According to the literature review of work done in Iran, so far, all studies have been case studies and have been limited to a specific city or province. Given the important role of hydrogen in the future portfolio of global energy, it is necessary to do comprehensive work to find the potential of all stations in Iran. Also, finding the most suitable solar hydrogen station can help Iranian energy policymakers. In addition, most of the works done are purely potential assessment, and technical-economic optimization has not been done. Therefore, in the present work, for the first time, the potential of hydrogen production from water electrolysis in 102 stations in Iran at home-scale has been evaluated. The cost of renewable electricity produced for water electrolysis is calculated taking into account the up-to-date prices of equipment as well as the actual annual interest rate, and the results are presented in the form of GIS maps for ease of decision-making.

2. Under Study Stations

A total of 102 stations have been evaluated to assess the potential of solar electricity and hydrogen in Iran. The reason for choosing these stations was the availability of 20-year average climate data on the NASA website. The location of the under study stations on the Iran map and their annual average climate data, i.e., the solar radiation intensity and the air clearness index, are shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), respectively. Solar radiation data and air clearness index will be used as input to the HOMER software to perform technical-economic calculations.

(a)

(b)

Figure 6: Climatic data of under study stations in Iran: (a) solar radiation intensity; (b) air clearness index [46].

3. Software’s and Data Used

The HOMER and ArcGIS softwares are used for the analysis in the present study. The HOMER software is used to find the amount of electricity generated by solar cells, and the ArcGIS software is used to display suitable and unsuitable places to use solar energy.

3.1. Solar-Based Electricity Production

The HOMER software uses the following equation for the amount of solar electricity generated [47]:

where is the rated capacity of PV cells in terms of kW, is the derating factor, is the solar radiation collides with the surface of the PV under operating conditions in terms of kW/m², is the solar radiation collides with the surface under standard test conditions and is equal to 1 kW/m², and is the output power from PV in terms of kW.

For the solar cells used in the present work, the lifetime is 20 years [48], the derating factor is 90% [49], the angle of the solar cells is equal to the latitude of the under study site [50], the orientation of the solar cells is to the south [51], and the ground reflection coefficient is 20% [52]. The cost of buying and replacing solar cells is $ 3200 and $ 3000 per kW, respectively [53]. Also, the annual operating and maintenance cost of solar cells, which mainly includes cleaning and can be done by the operator itself, are considered zero [54].

The HOMER software calculates the air clearness index (), which is a very important and influential parameter in the performance of solar cells by the following equation [55]:

where is the monthly average daily irradiation on a horizontal plane at the Earth’s surface and is the monthly average daily value of extraterrestrial radiation energy falling on a horizontal plane. is given to the software as input, and the software calculates the value of using latitude and by the following equations [55]:

where is the extraterrestrial radiation in terms of Mj/m²-day, is the solar constant and equal to 0.082 Mj/m²-min, is the inverse relative distance earth-sun, is the number of day in the year, is the sunset hour angle in terms of radian, is the latitude in terms of radian, and is the declination of the sun in terms of radian.

Economic calculations in the HOMER software include determining the LCOE parameter performed by the following equation [56]:

where is the sum of the annual costs and is the cost of the system’s actual electrical load in terms of kWh/year.

3.2. Hydrogen-Based Electricity Production

Water electrolysis requires an external energy carrier to carry out the process of separating oxygen and hydrogen. Among the types of energy carriers, solar energy is one of the main and justifiable forms of energy [57]. To calculate the potential of solar hydrogen production in different stations located in eight climates of Iran (cold, very cold, moderate and rainy, semimoderate and rainy, semiarid, hot and dry, very hot and dry, and very hot and humid), the amount of generated solar power () was first calculated by the HOMER software (equation (1)). Then, using an analytical analysis according to equation (8), the amount of hydrogen produced per year per kilowatt of solar cells used to generate electricity was estimated [58]. Also, due to the high efficiency, conditions in the Iranian market, and the longer average lifetime [59], the type of technology desired for water electrolysis in the present work is PEM.

In the above relation, is the electrolyzer efficiency in terms of percentage, which is considered 75% in the present work, and is the high heating value of hydrogen, which is 39.4 kWh/kg.

3.3. Assessment of the Areas by GIS Map

GIS technology by collecting and combining information from a conventional database provides information for map preparation by illustrating and using geographical analyzes. This information is used to make events clearer, to predict results, and to draw maps [60].

The use of spatial relationships between data in interpolation methods increases the accuracy of estimating radiation potential for different regions. In the present paper, the inverse distance weighting (IDW) internalization method is used. Calculations in IDW depend on two factors: select the power of in formula and the position of the adjacent points, or in other words, the position of the neighboring units. The default value for is considered to be 2, and for this value, the name of the method is the inverse distance squared weighted [61]. As shown in Figure 7, the point weight window includes a list of weights given to each point that are used to predict a value at the target location. In the IDW method, the points closest to the desired location weigh more than the farthest points, and the weight decreases with increasing distance.

Figure 7: Weighting in IDW method.

4. Results

Table 2 shows the results of the studies. As can be seen, Jask stations with a LCOE of $ 0.172 and Darab with $ 0.286 have the highest and lowest prices per kWh of solar electricity produced, respectively. Bushehr and Deyr stations with 0.178 $ are in the second place of lowest LCOE value, and Anzali station with $ 0.271 is in the second place of largest LCOE value. The average LCOE for the 102 under study stations is $ 0.206.

Table 2: Results of simulations.

Station
LCOE ($/kWh)
Hours of operation
Capacity factor (%)
PV production (kWh/yr)
Hydrogen production (kg/yr)

Abadan
0.193
4380
22.4
3925
74.7

Abadeh
0.193
4385
22.4
3929
74.8

Ahar
0.235
4384
18.4
3225
61.4

Ahwaz
0.204
4382
21.2
3706
70.5

Alvand
0.225
4384
19.2
3368
64.1

Anzali
0.271
4390
15.9
2792
53.1

Aq Qaleh
0.242
4368
17.9
3133
59.6

Arak
0.205
4384
21.1
3703
70.5

Ardakan
0.192
4390
22.5
3942
75.0

Ardistan
0.189
4385
22.9
4007
76.3

Babol
0.267
4387
16.2
2842
54.1

Babolsar
0.266
4388
16.3
2847
54.2

Bafq
0.192
4389
22.5
3936
74.9

Baft
0.189
4389
22.9
4004
76.2

Bam
0.193
4391
22.3
3916
74.5

Bandarabbass
0.199
4390
21.8
3816
72.6

Bandar-e Genaveh
0.192
4383
22.5
3942
75.0

Bandar-e Lengeh
0.191
4385
22.6
3958
75.3

Bandar-e Mahshahr
0.200
4381
21.6
3781
72.0

Birjand
0.202
4367
21.4
3747
71.3

Bojnurd
0.218
4375
19.8
3469
66.0

Borujen
0.196
4386
22.1
3868
73.6

Bukan
0.200
4381
21.6
3785
72.0

Bushehr
0.178
4382
24.4
4267
81.2

Chah Bahar
0.199
4399
21.8
3812
72.6

Chalus
0.264
4387
16.4
2868
54.6

Darab
0.286
4387
15.1
2648
50.4

Dargaz
0.234
4381
18.4
3231
61.5

Dehloran
0.185
4380
23.3
4084
77.7

Dezful
0.189
4382
22.9
4019
76.5

Deyr
0.178
4381
24.3
4254
81.0

Do Gonbadan
0.199
4383
21.7
3804
72.4

Do Rud
0.188
4383
23.0
4033
76.8

Esfahan
0.188
4384
23.0
4025
76.6

Firuzabad
0.196
4385
22.1
3864
73.6

Garmsar
0.212
4386
20.4
3566
67.9

Gonabad
0.201
4373
21.5
3762
71.6

Gonbad-e Qabus
0.237
4353
18.3
3199
60.9

Gorgan
0.232
4368
18.6
3261
62.1

Hamedan
0.188
4383
23.0
4026
76.6

Ilam
0.206
4382
21.0
3676
70.0

Iranshahr
0.193
4362
22.5
3934
74.9

Jahrom
0.191
4385
22.7
3969
75.6

Jask
0.172
4381
25.1
4401
83.8

Jiroft
0.192
4391
22.6
3953
75.2

Kamyaran
0.202
4384
21.4
3745
71.3

Kangan
0.193
4382
22.4
3927
74.8

Karaj
0.207
4387
20.8
3652
69.5

Kashan
0.205
4386
21.1
3692
70.3

Kashmar
0.208
4374
20.8
3643
69.3

Kazerun
0.196
4383
22.0
3858
73.4

Kerman
0.196
4391
22.1
3867
73.6

Kermanshah
0.217
4383
19.9
3495
66.5

Khalkhal
0.267
4386
16.2
2838
54.0

Khash
0.195
4348
22.1
3877
73.8

Khomeyn
0.199
4383
21.7
3802
72.4

Khormuj
0.200
4382
21.6
3785
72.0

Khorramabad
0.190
4385
22.8
3990
76.0

Khoy
0.219
4383
19.8
3462
65.9

Kuhdasht
0.185
4382
23.3
4086
77.8

Langarud
0.256
4385
16.9
2963
56.4

Lar
0.203
4385
21.3
3728
71.0

Mahabad
0.222
4381
19.5
3420
65.1

Maragheh
0.213
4383
20.3
3565
67.9

Marand
0.211
4383
20.5
3584
68.2

Marivan
0.203
4381
21.3
3732
71.0

Mashhad
0.219
4380
19.8
3466
66.0

Masjed-e Soleyman
0.200
4383
21.6
3787
72.1

Mianeh
0.217
4385
19.9
3492
66.5

Minab
0.195
4388
22.1
3878
73.8

Naiin
0.187
4387
23.1
4053
77.2

Neyriz
0.190
4387
22.8
3997
76.1

Neyshabur
0.212
4377
20.4
3574
68.0

Orumieh
0.208
4381
20.8
3637
69.2

Parsabad
0.250
4386
17.3
3030
57.7

Qaen
0.199
4372
21.7
3800
72.3

Qom
0.203
4385
21.3
3724
70.9

Ramsar
0.193
4384
22.4
3920
74.6

Ravar
0.191
4390
22.6
3963
75.4

Sabzevar
0.208
4374
20.8
3638
69.3

Sanandaj
0.209
4384
20.7
3630
69.1

Saravan
0.191
4372
22.6
3956
75.3

Sari
0.198
4386
21.9
3831
72.9

Semnan
0.186
4389
23.2
4070
77.5

Sepidan
0.194
4384
22.3
3900
74.2

Shahr-e Babak
0.191
4387
22.6
3960
75.4

Shahr-e Kord
0.194
4384
22.3
3898
74.2

Shahroud
0.187
4370
23.1
4050
77.1

Shiraz
0.192
4385
22.5
3944
75.1

Sirjan
0.192
4388
22.5
3938
75.0

Tabas
0.189
4389
22.8
3999
76.1

Tabriz
0.222
4384
19.5
3413
65.0

Takab
0.188
4384
23.0
4030
76.7

Taybad
0.205
4381
21.0
3688
70.2

Tehran
0.209
4386
20.7
3620
68.9

Torbat-e Jam
0.215
4382
20.1
3525
67.1

Torbat-Heydarieh
0.208
4377
20.8
3640
69.3

Yasuj
0.195
4384
22.2
3890
74.0

Yazd
0.204
4388
21.2
3716
70.7

Zabol
0.198
4376
21.8
3825
72.8

Zahedan
0.196
4363
22.0
3862
73.5

Zanjan
0.186
4387
23.2
4071
77.5

According to the results of Table 2, the highest and lowest operating hours of solar cells during the year with values of 4399 and 4348 are related to Chabahar and Khash stations, respectively. Also, the average operating hour of solar cells for the under studied stations is 4382. The reason why the maximum and minimum operating hours of solar cells do not correspond to the highest and lowest solar power generation and therefore the highest and lowest LCOE values can be due to factors such as air cloudiness and radiation intensity.

According to the results of Table 2, Jask and Darab stations have the highest and lowest capacity factor with 25.1% and 15.1%, respectively. The capacity factor, which is actually the average output power divided by the nominal capacity of solar cells, is on average 21.21% for all under study stations.

Based on the results, it can be seen that the top 3 stations in the field of solar power generation are Jask, Bushehr, and Deyr stations, which produce 4401, 4267, and 4254 kWh of electricity per year, respectively. Based on the location of renewable power plants in Iran, which are mainly in the central of Iran [62] and given that the top stations generate solar electricity in the southern margins of the country, more attention needs to be paid to Jask, Bushehr, and Deyr stations. The three stations that have produced the least solar electricity are Darab, Anzali, and Khalkhal, which generated 2648, 2792, and 2838 kWh of electricity per year, respectively. The reason for this low production can be climatic factors such as high cloudiness and low radiation intensity. According to the results, the total solar power generated in the 102 stations surveyed will be 380 MWh per year which the average of each station is about 3.7 MWh per year. This result can be very important for decision-makers and policymakers in the field of a distributed generation because so far no comprehensive work has been done to assess the production of solar electricity in Iran.

According to the results, Jask station with an annual production of 83.8 kg of hydrogen was able to obtain the first rank in the production of hydrogen on a home scale. The lowest amount of hydrogen production with 50.4 kg per year is related to Darab station. Other top stations in the field of hydrogen production are Bushehr and Deyr, and other unsuitable stations in the field of hydrogen production are Anzali and Khalkhal. According to statistical calculations, the total amount of hydrogen produced in the under studied stations was 7.2 tons per year, with each station producing an average of 70.8 kg of hydrogen per year. In order to better evaluate and understand finding suitable and unsuitable areas for home-scale hydrogen production in Iran, the hydrogen production map in Iran has been drawn using the GIS software in Figure 8. Based on Figure 8, it is clear that the southern half of Iran, especially the coasts of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, is suitable for hydrogen production, and the northern, northeastern, northwestern, and one region in southern of Iran are unsuitable for hydrogen production.

Figure 8: Map of solar hydrogen production potential in Iran.

5. Conclusion

Hydrogen can become an important medium for storing RE to become clean electricity if needed. In other words, by using hydrogen, RE can be effectively stored and transferred over long distances and over a long period of time [23]. Therefore, hydrogen is an essential element for becoming 100% RE systems and eliminating the phenomenon of global warming. Since it is very important for decision-makers and policymakers in the field of distributed generation to know the potential of electricity and hydrogen production on a home scale, in the present work, this issue has been studied for the first time in Iran. Technical-economic investigations have been conducted by the HOMER software on the average 20-year radiation data of 102 stations in Iran. Finally, for better understanding, the ArcGIS software provides a home-scale hydrogen production potential map. The main results are as follows:

(i)Jask with a LCOE of $ 0.172 and Darab with $ 0.286 have the highest and lowest prices per kWh of solar electricity produced, respectively(ii)The average LCOE for the 102 under study stations is $ 0.206(iii)Jask and Darab stations have the highest and lowest capacity factor with 25.1% and 15.1%, respectively(iv)The average capacity factor is 21.21% for all under study stations(v)Top 3 stations in the field of solar power generation are Jask, Bushehr, and Deyr stations, which produce 4401, 4267, and 4254 kWh of electricity per year, respectively(vi)The three stations that have produced the least solar electricity are Darab, Anzali, and Khalkhal, which generated 2648, 2792, and 2838 kWh of electricity per year, respectively(vii)The total solar power generated in the 102 under study stations is 380 MWh per year(viii)Jask with the production of 83.8 kg/year has the first rank in the production of hydrogen(ix)The lowest amount of hydrogen production with 50.4 kg/year is related to Darab station(x)The total amount of hydrogen produced in the under studied stations was 7.2 tons/year(xi)The southern half of Iran, especially the coasts of the Persian Gulf and the sea of Oman, is suitable for hydrogen production, and the northern, northeastern, northwestern, and one region in southern Iran are unsuitable for hydrogen production

Nomenclature

RE: | Renewable energy
PEM: | Proton exchange membrane
FC: | Fuel cell
PV: | Photovoltaic
NPC: | Net present cost ($)
LCOE: | Levelized cost of energy ($/kWh)
DEA: | Data envelopment analysis
GIS: | Geographic information system
IDW: | inverse distance weighting
: | Output power of PV cells (kW)
: | Output power of solar cell under standard conditions (kW)
: | Derating factor (%)
: | Incident radiation on the cell’s surface on a monthly basis (kW/m²)
: | Incident radiation on the cell’s surface under standard conditions (1 kW/m²)
: | Clearness index (-)
: | Sunset hour angle (radian)
: | Mass of hydrogen (kg/year)
: | Solar constant (0.082 MJ/m²-min)
: | Electrolyzer efficiency (%)
: | Extraterrestrial radiation (MJ/m²-day)
φ: | Latitude (radian)
: | Inverse relative distance earth-sun
: | Number of the day during the year (-)
: | Total annual cost ($)
: | Real electrical load by the system (kWh/year)
δ: | Declination of the sun (radian)
: | Monthly average daily radiation on a horizontal plane (MJ/m²-day)
: | Higher heating value of the hydrogen (39.4 kWh/kg).

Data Availability

All data used to support the findings of this study are included within the article.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the organizations that provided data for this work.

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