Photovoltaic and Hydrogen the unlimited Energy Resource

Michael Schubert, Ewald Wahlmller, Helena Weber

Fronius International GmbH, Froniusplatz 1, A-4600 Wels, Austria Speaker: Michael Schubert Corresponding author: Michael Schubert, schubert.michael@fronius.com

Abstract Fronius International is an Austrian company with over 3,250 employees worldwide. The company is active in the fields of battery charging systems, welding technology and solar electronics. We have been closely involved with solar electronics since 1992 with grid connected inverters. Our aim is to revolutionize the energy supply of our planet to achieve energy self-sufficiency. However, energy self-sufficiency requires more than temporarily available photovoltaic electricity, which is why Fronius has already spent many years researching into efficient ways of storing solar power. Our development of the Fronius Energy Cell represents a milestone for this sector. The objective is to store excess photovoltaic current in the form of hydrogen and to release it again as electricity when required. With the development of the Fronius Energy Cell, Fronius is paving the way for a transition from a centralized to a decentralized supply of energy. This means increasing the private consumption of energy generated from photovoltaic sources and to a large extent achieving energy autonomy. The article describes in detail a model installation of an energy self-sufficient family home. Using the configuration on which this installation model is based makes it possible to achieve self-sufficiency in the supply of electricity and heat within ones own four walls. Keywords: Fronius Energy Cell, photovoltaic, inverter, storing solar power, fuel cell, hydrogen, electrolyzer, energy autonomy

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1.1

Introduction
Energy Resources, a global view

The near-term end of fossil based energy is a common agreed fact. There are different studies available concerning the timeframe respectively when peak fossil happens. In figure 1 [Schmidt, LBST 2008] the peak fossil is predicted for 2015. What happens then? The energy consumption of the world is still rapidly growing. So we need new energy resources. The direct (solar thermal, photovoltaic) or indirect (biomass, wind) use of solar energy will provide enough sustainable energy for unlimited time. The big challenge is to solve the storage issue, especially for wind and photovoltaic generated electricity. Many experts are convinced that hydrogen will play the major role as a renewable produced chemical energy carrier for the future. [Rifkin, 2002], [Evers, 2010]

Figure 1: Energy Supply from fossil to renewable energies [Schmidt, LBST 2008]

1.2

Hydrogen

Hydrogen (H2) is a secondary energy carrier. Its hardly been found as H2 in the nature but it can be produced, e.g. by water electrolyses and electricity, from other energy carrier. Today hydrogen is used in the industry since decades, e.g. in the refinement of crude oil or in the metal production. Currently the main method of hydrogen production, however, is steam reforming of fossil fuels such as natural gas. [Evers, 2010, p. 92] If H2 is produced from renewable, like photovoltaic and water electrolysis, you solve the storage issue of this fluctuating source and you get a fully CO2 neutral, clean and inexhaustible energy carrier. The annual solar flux to earth is 3,900,000 EJ, this is 8,700 times the energy demand of the whole world. [Hohmeyer, Trittin, IPCC 2008] Hence, Photovoltaic and Hydrogen can be the future, unlimited Energy Resource for the mankind.

1.3

The Fronius Energy Cell Solution

The Fronius Energy Cell has a decentralized approach at a family home level, to produce energy there where its needed. The big inherent advantage is that the waste heat of the system can be used in the family home for heating and hot water, hence increases significant the overall efficiency. In central power plants in general the heat cant be used on site and additional long-distance heat pipelines are expensive and hence often not implemented. Since the storage is local also a power grid expansion can be avoided. Such central concepts are in discussion for Europe. The basic idea is to have offshore wind parks in the north, photovoltaic in the south and pumped-storage hydropower plants, e. g. in the Alps. [European Commission, 2010] These concepts are controversial, because you need new strength power lines through Europe, which need land and big investments. In this case you dont use the big new opportunity of the renewable energies, produce energy locally where its needed. The Fronius Energy Cell is a complete regenerative energy supply and storage system. The full version performs two functions: the electrolysis function and the fuel cell function. Lets have a closer look (Figure 2). A Photovoltaic system (1) converts sunlight into DC electricity. This DC electricity is either converted by the inverter (4) into AC electricity and relayed to the consumer or, if there is no need at that time for energy, it is used to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen using the Fronius Energy Cell (2) via the Energy Cell's electrolysis function. The hydrogen is then stored in a tank (3) until needed. Using the Energy Cell's fuel cell function, the hydrogen is converted back into electricity as required, i.e., when no energy is available from the solar modules (2). This ensures that clean, emissions-free energy is available on-demand.

Figure 2: Fronius Energy Cell concept

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2.1

Energy Self-sufficient Family Home an Installation Model

General

The main idea of the Fronius Energy Cell is not new. Demonstration installations from the past are well-known, e. g. the family house in Zollbrck/ Switzerland, which was already in operation in 1991. [Hollmuller et al., 1999] The experience and public awareness of these projects has to be rated very positive. But the problem of these installations was, that there are still no products available on the markets which are optimized for this application. So they have to use several single products, often prototypes, and handle a complex system integration. The result was not satisfying the users and the potential markets concerning functionality, simplicity, maintenance, costs, user friendliness etc. The Fronius Energy Cell will change this. The goal is one compact unit which is specially developed for the application of family homes. The following described model installation is based on these considerations. The first field installations are planed for the second half of 2012. The experience of these installations will progress future installations, which may differ from this model forecast. The aim of this installation model is to increase the use of self-generated solar electricity within a home. Depending on user behavior and weather-related fluctuations in yield, this concept can be used to achieve complete self-sufficiency in the supply of electricity and heat. The Fronius Energy Cell (electrolyzer and fuel cell in one compact unit), combined with the hydrogen tank, provides storage for electrical energy all year round. To produce heat, the optimum solution from a thermodynamic point of view is to use an electrically-powered heat pump. The waste heat from the Fronius Energy Cell can be used to help meet the heat requirements. 2.2 Assumptions Central European household comprising 4 people Connection to the public mains network Heated living area 170 m2 Electrical energy requirement (without heat pump): 3,000 kWh/a energy-efficient household Heating requirement: 2,500 kWh/a; 15 kWh/(m2 a), lowest-energy house according to the EU Buildings Directive Hot water requirement: 1,500 kWh/a (25 liters per person per day) Photovoltaic energy generated: 6,000 kWh/a; based on a photovoltaic system covering approx. 60 m2. Usage behavior/energy flows: the starting point for a breakdown of photovoltaic generated energy is used immediately, after short-term storage and after long-term storage.

2.3

Result

In figure 3 you see the floor plan of the housing and utility room (approx. 11m) and the H2 storage, which is implemented in an outbuilding (7.4m).

Figure 3: Floor plan: H2 storage and housing systems/ utilities

The storage system consists of a short-term and a long-term storage equipment. The shortterm storage transfers mainly the energy from daytime for night, 10 kWh battery (lead acid or lithium) are here sufficient. The long-term storage is for the seasonal energy transfer (in summertime for winter), this is done by the Fronius Energy Cell and the H2 tank with 1.200 kWh energy content (for bundles of 12 steel 50-liter cylinders at approx. 200bar). Fronius Energy Cell technical data: Overall efficiency taking into account the utilization of waste heat: > 80% Waste heat level: approx. 80C; By utilizing the waste heat from the Fronius Energy Cell, over of the annual hot water requirement can be met.

So the benefits of both technologies are combined by the Energy Cell concept: Batteries provide a good efficiency for short-term electricity storage and peak-power capacity. Hydrogen is suitable for seasonal high density electricity and heat storage. Additional components are the water treatment (deionized water for the electrolyzer), the buffer storage for the use of the Fronius Energy Cell waste heat and the inverter, which connects the photovoltaic, the AC grid and the DC storage equipment together. This concept can be used both in new buildings and in the renovation of older properties. The property data must be considered during the planning process.

Perspective

One of the first intermediate steps towards the hydrogen economy is generally accepted to be the introduction of hydrogen in small-scale autonomous power applications due to the already high cost of energy produced by conventional autonomous power systems, like diesel generators. [Zoulias, 2008, chapter 1] These early market applications can be in the field of Telecom/ Telematics National parks Rural electrification

Also uninterruptable power supply (UPS) systems for data processing centres, industrial processes, etc. and mobile applications, e. g. material handling vehicles, are early markets which currently already begin to start.

Conclusions

In this article its shown, that using the configuration on which this installation model is based makes it possible to achieve self-sufficiency in the supply of electricity and heat within ones own four walls. Bringing costs down by economy of scale will be the big challenge to open the family home market for this technology. Also the political framework and the price development of the energy markets will mainly influence the market progress of this technology.

References
European Commission, Brussels (2010), Energy infrastructure priorities for 2020 and beyond - A Blueprint for an integrated European energy network, 17.11.2010 Evers Arno (2010), The Hydrogen Society, Published by Hydrogeit Verlag Hohmeyer Olav, Trittin Tom (2008), IPCC Scoping Meeting on Renewable Energy Sources Proceedings, Lbeck, Germany, 20 25 January, 2008 Holmuller Pierre, Joubert Jean-Marc, Lachal Bernhard, Yvon Klaus (1999), Evaluation of a 5kW p photovoltaic hydrogen production and storage installation for a residential home in Switzerland, International Association for Hydrogen Energy, Elsevier Science Rifkin Jeremy (2002), The Hydrogen Economy, Penguin Putnam Schmidt Patrick (2008), Ludwig-Blkow-Systemtechnik GmbH (LBST), Germany Taking the Fast Lane to Hydrogen Infrastructure Development, All Energy Conference H208 Aberdeen Schubert, M. (2010), Wasserstoff als Energiezelle, 1. IIR-Netzforum: Integration Erneuerbarer Energien ins Stromnetz, Wien 10. 11. November 2010 Schubert M (2011), Energieautonomes Eigenheim ist das mglich?, Photovoltaic Austria Tagung Wind- und Sonnenstrom auf Vorrat, Wien 20. Juni 2011 Wilk H., Wahlmller E., Heigl H. (2003), PV-Hybridanlagen mit Brennstoffzellen zur sicheren ganzjhrigen Versorgung von Funkanlagen und Mestationen im EVU-Bereich, 10. OTTI - Fachforum Brennstoffzellen, Entwickler und Anwender berichten, 7-8. Oktober 2003, Berlin Zoulias Emmanuel I., Lymberopoulos N. (2008), Hydrogen-based Autonomous Power Systems, Springer