ABSTRACT
Stand-alone power applications are a significant market sector for photovoltaic (PV) power systems today and into the near future. An important technical constraint for wider use of PV power systems in stand-alone applications in cold climates is the difficulty of storing summertime energy for wintertime use. PV–battery systems use either primary or secondary batteries to meet the load during periods of low solar irradiation. Systems using secondary batteries for seasonal storage appear, at first glance, to be no different from regular stand-alone PV systems: they have all the same components and operate similarly. The high cost of the large battery banks required for seasonal storage and the considerable expense of maintaining and refuelling a genset at remote locations have stimulated the search for novel solutions to seasonal energy storage and back-up. The PV–fuel-cell system consists of a PV array, a battery, a fuel cell, a hydrogen store and a control unit.
