Expert System for Component Selection of Self-Sufficient and Regenerative Electricity Supply Systems with Hydrogen Storage

Decentralized small scale electricity generation based on renewable energy sources usually necessitates decoupling of volatile power generation and consumption by means of energy storage. Hydrogen has proven as an eligible storage medium for midand long-term range, which when indicated can be reasonably complemented by accumulator short term storage. The selection of appropriate system components sources, storage devices and the appertaining peripherals is a demanding task which affords a high degree of freedom but, on the other hand, has to account for various operational dependencies and restrictions of system components, as well as for conduct of load and generation. This paper delineates a most recently developed part of a design tool where the primary selection of system components is based on an expert system which takes into account the characteristics and performance of relevant renewable power sources, load shapes, storage systems and safety rules, and also covers economic as well as ecological aspects. In particular it allows for optimal, comprehensible and transparent selection of appropriate power supply components for applications such as telecommunication relay stations, residential buildings or farms in remote rural areas.