Hydrogen Production from Renewable Energy Sources

The partnership of hydrogen and renewables may provide benefits to both technologies. Renewables can use hydrogen to store excess production and provide energy on demand. Renewables can add credibility to the clean energy claims of hydrogen, ensuring that the production of hydrogen is in fact GHG emission free and independent from fossil fuels. However, there are many outstanding issues that need to be considered in determining the potential for this option. Some of those issues are the cost of hydrogen production from renewable energy, the convenience of hydrogen storage methods, the efficiency of electricity production from hydrogen, and the overall efficiency of a renewable energy/hydrogen system. There are also many other storage options for renewables that show promise and may deserve more attention. This paper will examine the current state of R&D for renewable-hydrogen integration in Canada, and discuss the potential and challenges for this option in specific applications. Finally, hydrogen will be compared to other storage options for renewables.