Techno-economic analysis of off-grid PV/wind/fuel cell hybrid system combinations with a comparison of regularly and seasonally occupied households

Abstract In Turkey, it is common to move to seasonal vacation homes/second homes during summer months. Electrical energy demand of these homes, which are usually located in the coastal regions where solar radiation is high, can be met by renewable energy sources. In this study, meeting electrical energy demand of off-grid vacation homes via photovoltaic/wind/fuel cell hybrid energy systems is investigated from a techno-economical perspective. 24 different simulations were performed in the HOMER software under geographic and climatic conditions of Cesme, Izmir that has relatively high solar and wind energy potential for Turkey conditions and is a place where seasonal vacation homes are located. Two occupancy scenarios (seasonal and regular) of the households were investigated under two storage options (hydrogen and battery) and each storage option consisted of six hybrid system configurations (three 100% renewable + three minimum 95% renewable). As a result, the levelized cost of electricity (COE) of off-grid renewable energy systems are found to be above the cost of grid electricity, however, a lot less when compared to previous years. The techno-economic analysis showed that, battery storage, which is a more mature technology, is still economically superior to hydrogen storage.