Increasing utilization of solar PV in Sweden through large-scale seasonal energy storage
Typ
Projektarbete, avancerad nivå
Project Report, advanced level
Project Report, advanced level
Program
Publicerad
2023
Författare
Andersson, Alfred
Ariaman, Pars
Viriyaparp, Intiporn
Modellbyggare
Tidskriftstitel
ISSN
Volymtitel
Utgivare
Sammanfattning
This report examines the feasibility of integrating large-scale seasonal hydrogen storage
with solar photovoltaics (PV) to facilitate the diffusion of solar PV in Sweden by allowing electricity
that cannot be used directly to be utilized at a later date. Sweden’s geographical position makes it
an interesting point of study because of the significant fluctuations in solar energy availability and
energy demand across different seasons. Methodologically, the report is a combination of a literature
search, qualitative calculations, and interviews. The results include an analysis of current technologies
for converting electricity to hydrogen, hydrogen storage methods and converting hydrogen back to
electricity. This is followed by a calculation that models a potential scenario of a hydrogen storagebacked
solar PV system in Sweden. Lastly, a holistic review of this kind of energy system is done
with societal, economic, and environmental aspects considered. The main findings of the report show
that using hydrogen as an energy carrier for storing electricity might not be feasible for large-scale
applications due to problems justifying it economically, which is a result of the large capital costs
needed for the infrastructure to accommodate the storage demand. An alternative approach where
hydrogen is utilized directly in industry instead of converting it back to electricity was found to be a
more feasible solution. This could still facilitate the diffusion of solar PVs in Sweden, as the need to
replace hydrogen that is sourced from fossil fuels will support this development.