Hydrogen production horizon using solar energy in Biskra, Algeria

This paper aims at studying the hydrogen production from solar energy available in Biskra region in the east of Algeria by the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolyzer. The electrolyzer is supplied by solar photovoltaic (PV) system. Three kinds of PV generator with rated power up to 6 kW are used for producing hydrogen. The PV panel characteristics are experimentally validated. The instantaneous effects of temperature and solar radiation on PV characteristics are shown. Moreover, a comprehensive study is devoted to validate two different models for the areas solar radiation. The simulation results are compared to the experimental measurements using statistical analysis. The solar radiation model on a horizontal and on a tilted and oriented PV panel give sufficient results. The adequate agreement between the simulation results and the experimental data verifies the effectiveness of the proposed models. (C) 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.