i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 4 2 ( 2 0 1 7 ) 2 4 5 3 e2 4 5 6

Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

ScienceDirect

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/he

Short Communication

Integration of hydrogen energy systems into

renewable energy systems for better design of
100% renewable energy communities

Tanay Sdk Uyar*, Dog

ancan Besikci
Energy Section, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Marmara University,
Istanbul, Turkey

article info abstract

Article history: This paper will introduce the concept of 100% renewable energy and the role hydrogen and
Received 9 May 2016 fuel cells can play for storage and transportation sectors. The importance, necessity and
Received in revised form possibility of an overall global transition from fossil and nuclear-based fuels to renewable
10 September 2016 energy fuels using electricity and hydrogen as clean energy carriers will be summarized.
Accepted 14 September 2016 Polluted, inefficient and unhealthy societies of today are missing energy self-sufficient,
Available online 2 October 2016 better managed, in harmony with nature ecological communities. The possible role of
hydrogen fuel cells in fulfilling this target will be demonstrated and the success stories of
Keywords: the leading countries will be given. Renewable energy investments which have started in
Climate change 2013 increased steadily and reached to 290 billion dollars towards the end of 2015. Today's
Energy end use efficiency increasing investments and cheaper supply of renewable energy will in turn effect the
Renewable energy hydrogen production costs and increase the diversion from fossil fuels to cheap renewable
Planning the future energy mix energy. This reality confirms that hydrogen energy technologies will play an important role
Smart grids in reaching the 100% renewable energy target.
Storage 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

considered during feasibility phase of all investments. As a

Introduction
Countries evaluating the history of energy utilization have
realized today that there is no sustainable future on earth
without overall energy transition from nuclear and fossil fuels
to renewable energy resources. Early industrialized countries
namely USA, Germany and UK have practiced the natural
capital destruction and health effects which were not inter-
nalized at that time. Works of Hohmeyer [1] and Pearce [2] has
proved that the social costs of energy production need to be
consequence, clean energy concepts became popular as a
medicine for the treatment of dirty cities in industrialized
countries. After trying coal, petroleum and nuclear options
until late 1970s, OECD countries have decided to initiate about
40 Technology Agreements [3] to find solutions for the energy
problems and related externalities. Joint research and devel-
opment on safe nuclear, clean coal and renewable energy
technologies were initiated. Rapid commercialization of
renewable energy technologies and development of energy

* Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: drtanayuyar@gmail.com (T.S. Uyar), dogancanbesikci@outlook.com (D. Besikci).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2016.09.086
0360-3199/ 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
2454 i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 4 2 ( 2 0 1 7 ) 2 4 5 3 e2 4 5 6
end-use efficiency methodologies globally through this
multinational cooperation created low-hanging fruits for the
decision makers of the countries who are in the solution side.
The priorities were found to be energy end use efficiency to
reduce the size of the problem and integrated utilization of
clean energy technologies to reach the permanent solution.
Necessary steps to be taken for reaching the permanent
solution are: to define the energy problems correctly, to find
the solutions that can be implemented, to differentiate be-
tween obsolete and best available energy technologies, to stop
importing and using obsolete technologies, and to rely on
100% symphony of locally available renewable energy tech-
nologies. In order to end up with a society using 100%
renewable energy by 2050, using all renewable energies
together and including the storage technologies, which is an
achievable target [4e6].
Renewable energy includes high entropy resources which
are available and suitable for being converted to the required
quality of end use application on site. This makes it necessary
that the user is aware of and respect the natural constraints
and Interactions in which the renewable energy system to be
installed. Distributed and intermittent character of renewable
energy resources requires smart grids and storage tech-
nologies for effective employment of renewable energy
technologies.
Designing a clean energy future equipped with efficient use
of energy and renewable energy technologies requires the
involvement of stakeholders, ownership and approval of local
people. Better design of future sustainable societies can be
realized with long term energy economy and ecology decision
support tools.
100% renewable energy looks like the only way to submit
whole humanity a healthy environment in a sustainable
structure. On the other hand hydrogen due its more efficient
storage possibilities is in a position to supply huge energy
needs of the world. As a result, the carbon dioxide emissions
to atmosphere will decrease and a more healthy environment
will be established.
In the Third Section the importance of the 100% renew-
able energy concept will be explained. Fourth Section will
include the role and advantages of hydrogen technologies in
the journey to 100% renewable energy. Fifth Section will be
about the scenarios where the hydrogen technologies can be
utilized. In Section Six possible conclusions and outcomes
will be elaborated. Section 7 (References) will present the
conclusions.
Concept of 100% renewable energy
There is a consensus regarding the sun's role in providing a
living space for human beings on earth. The world is like a cell
surrounded by a blanket of greenhouse gases that give it an
atmosphere with an average temperature of 16  C, in the
middle of a space with an average temperature of 60  C.
Considering its natural solar, wind and biomass potential, Our
Planet definitely has more renewable energy resources than
needed to cover all global energy needs. Global energy policies
and energy strategies is constrained by the previous and
current decisions of fossil fuel, nuclear, and hydropower
investors. The externalities of energy consumption and pro-
duction are not internalized globally. Regarding the imple-
mentation of energy end use efficiency and renewable energy
technologies, developing countries are far behind Germany,
USA and China. These countries who are aware of the situa-
tion with the initiatives of their decision-makers are giving
priority to reducing the size of the energy problem by pro-
grams like Energy Star [7], German Energy Transition [8],
Revolution Now [9].
As the measures of energy efficiency and pioneer imple-
mentation of renewable energy technologies justified their
quality individually, the idea of overall transition started to
shape in the minds of the promoters of renewable energy.
Renewable Energy Association of Turkey (EUROSOLAR
Turkey) has organized annual IRENEC (International 100%
Renewable Energy Conference) [10] conferences since 2011 in
Istanbul aiming to pursue improvements in energy end-use
efficiency and renewable energies, and to create the infra-
structure required to realize the 100% renewable goal in in-
dustry, local communities, architecture, and transportation.
The main topics of IRENEC evolved from 100% Renewable
Energy is Possible (2013), to Transition to 100% Renewable
Energy is the only Solution (2014), to Renewable Energy for
Equity, Freedom, Peace and Local Employment (2015) and to
Transition to Ecological and Democratic Societies Using 100%
renewable Energy Community Power (2016) respectively.
As ambassadors of Global 100% Renewable Energy
Campaign [11] we are trying to disseminate our concept and
approach globally with various means to get feedback from
the citizens and related institutions of the world. Participa-
tions of the Kassel International Dialogue evaluated the
criteria for 100% renewable energy to further clarify the
concept [12]. Implementation status and outcomes, 100% RE
target, Planning & orientation, Institutionalization, Local
stakeholders' engagement, Buildings, Mobility and Transport,
Energy efficiency in utility-scale generation, Knowledge gen-
eration, Public engagement and Participation in Networks
were the criteria considered.
Incorporation of hydrogen production systems
into renewable energy system
In transition to the renewable energy, it is required that every
clean energy source such as wind, solar power, bioenergy and
hydrogen to complete each other within the energy system
and when one of the sources become insufficient, the other
energy source should come in to feed the system. The best
example to this situation may be installing a complementary
system which produces electricity from PV panels during a
windless day, and then electricity production from wind or
bioenergy during the night time.
Even though there were progressive leaps in renewable
energy technologies and changes towards positive profit-
ability in investment instruments after the oil crisis in 1970's,
the progress in vehicular electric engines didn't get ahead of
fossil fuel burning dependent vehicular engines as intended.
On the other hand, batteries in electric engine vehicles were in
no place to compete with the refuelling time of inner com-
bustion engines. But because of fuel cells being both clean and
 i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 4 2 ( 2 0 1 7 ) 2 4 5 3 e2 4 5 6
secure, and with lesser refuelling times almost as much as
fossil fuels, the fuel cell technology is a cheaper technology in
terms of practicality and battery replacement costs compared
to the battery-using electric engine vehicles.
Today, even though fuel cells are available in most vehic-
ular instruments, the non-wide availability of charging sta-
tions restricts the usage of this technology mostly to the
central points like airports, public buses and heavy machinery.
Some of the most significant problems restricting the
usage of fuel technology in today's vehicles are the produc-
tion, storage and transportation of hydrogen. Hydrogen is
principally possible to be produced from the water, but it can
be produced by decomposition of waste plants and waste
water. But meanwhile the supply of hydrogen is being secured
from previously specified sources plus more possible new
sources, the technological progress on increasing the total
production capacity is most needed too. With the recent fig-
ures made public the total quantity of automobiles in the
globe is expected to exceed 1 billion and with the assumption
of most of these vehicles utilize fossil fuel engines, hydrogen
production technology surely needs new progress' to compete
with the industry.
On the other hand, hydrogen fuel cell is a clean and secure
way to supply electricity to remote areas like islands and
obscured lands prevented from installing energy networks.
For an example, installing a network to supply energy to a
small population is a costly way, or building wind turbines and
photovoltaic panels with relatively high investment costs will
be unfeasible. Instead of those high cost approaches, fuel cells
with smaller scales can provide energy for those areas with
lower budgets, higher mobility and furthermore, can help to
maintain the nature to be an example for different angles of
views.
For the storage technologies, even though compression of
hydrogen, liquefaction, containment in hydrocarbons or hy-
drides are popular ways, usage of those technologies in mobile
vehicles are thought to be dangerous or inefficient. Instead of
those methods, with the recent progressions in nanotech-
nology, the absorption and containment of hydrogen in car-
bon nano tubes seem to be a better method in terms of
security and efficiency.
The transportation of hydrogen to refuelling stations are
conducted by tankers today, but with the total annual pro-
duction is increasing day by day, it's projected to become
insufficient in the coming years. In a comprehensive research
conducted by NREL [13], transportation of hydrogen is possible
with mixture of hydrogen and natural gas in existing natural
gas pipelines, and even with low mixing rates such as %3-%5,
carbon dioxide emission can be decreased drastically.
Case studies
Possible scenarios regarding of the transition to %100 renew-
able energy utilizing hydrogen will be put forth in this part.
If we take an attentive look at the wind potential maps
made for Turkey, it can be distinguished that the potential of
westwards is higher than the other areas. And because of the
strong winds all around the year in respect of its location,
Bozcaada is the most wind potent location in entire Turkey.
2455
To exploit the available potential with the existing network
system, hybrid operation of the pv/wind systems can be uti-
lized [14]. After supply of the electricity needs of the Island,
the access electricity produced can be converted to an electric
carrier as hydrogen which can be stored.
This method may evaluate the existing network system
and the untapped wind and solar potential to be beneficial in
hydrogen production. As well as this method will provide
employment for the locals, it will be an important step in the
journey of decarbonization in Turkey.
The investment values in renewable energy sector prove
that even though the costs in sector showed signs of decrease
after the increase in oil and coal prices from 2011 to 2013,
when we look at Fig. 1 the increase or decrease in renewable
energy investments, we notice that decrease in coal and pe-
troleum prices are not directly linked to the important
reduction on the prices.
Fossil fuels are becoming more expensive as the demand
increases or more fossil fuels are consumed but with the
renewable energy, the opposite is true. When more renewable
energy power plants build and more renewable energy is used,
the cost of renewable energy electricity decreasing.
Furthermore, 22% of increase in research and development
investments in regards to the high efficiency renewable energy
technologies proves that the trend is increasing day by day.
Results and discussion
The energy problems created with the industrial revolution
became a never ending activity keeping all the decision
makers busy at all times. Public decisions taken for the control
and monitoring of the economic development have always
served for the business as usual approach of delaying solu-
tions and supporting problems with harmful subsidies. Every
decision maker comes with the power to solve the problems
but they became the slaves of the problem.
The concept which is introduced in this paper is to plan the
energy and economy systems of the future with the infor-
mation of the future and to reach a target which is valuable,
reliable, achievable and giving birth to a permanent solution.
The history of energy production and consumption is
full of disasters causing huge amount of fatalities and
externalities.
Fig. 1 e Correlation between renewable energy
investments and coal, crude oil prices [15,16].
2456 i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 4 2 ( 2 0 1 7 ) 2 4 5 3 e2 4 5 6
Human beings recently, after 1980s remembered that the
sun and its derivatives supplying the living space with heat
and light are the unlimited resources of nature which can be
the solution to the energy problems created by the human
beings on earth.
Missing technologies of energy production from renewable
resources and energy efficient end use equipment were
developed by the countries which suffered first from the
inefficient and polluting technologies.
Due to externalities of fossil fuels and nuclear waste heat
power plants, the 100% renewable energy is becoming
important for future clean energy systems. To speed up this
process and to achieve a permanent solution in transportation
of fuel replacement by carriers such as hydrogen, biofuels and
electricity produced by renewable energies; the storage of
renewable energy as electricity, hydrogen and process heat is
the urgent agenda of today. Upon achieving this, the renew-
able energy will be independent from fossil fuels and nuclear
energy, as well as the solution from the problems. For an en-
ergy source to be a solution it needs to exist in sufficient
quantities, the technology which converts this resource to
energy carriers like hydrogen, electricity and process heat
must be available on the market. The cost of producing energy
carriers from this resource must be competitive in market
conditions. But the determinant factor is the decision makers'
intentions and the summit of the solution and the determi-
nant factor is the decision makers who are on the solution
side.
Conclusions
Permanent and sustainable energy solution is the one which
is in harmony with nature. This is not a favour to nature, but a
prerequisite for survival of humanity. Earlier approaches of
building solar houses, installing solar panels on the roofs or
using insulation material for the buildings were only pre-
liminary steps taken to search the possibility of a solution to
the energy problem.
Understanding the dynamics of nature is necessary for
effective utilization of the renewable energy resources of na-
ture. A system analysis approach is required for each renew-
able energy implementation such as the passive house serving
living space to a family, combined heat and power providing
energy to an industrial establishment or an integrated
renewable energy system supplying 100% energy needs of a
city. Community power by the decisions and the ownership of
the people or citizens is the most suitable way of developing
renewable energy projects. Distributed renewable energy
technologies need a smart grid to feed the commodity they
produce and deliver it to the consumers efficiently. To cover
the complete needs of the customers, storage of the process
heat and electricity produced from renewable energy tech-
nologies become the solution.
Electricity sector has already decided to switch to renew-
able energy as the cheapest option. Heating and cooling
sector, with energy end use efficient equipment deployment
and passive building designs started to reduce and now is
planning to end the process heat production by fossil fuels.
Transportation sector is trying to find its way towards
renewable energy utilization. The candidates are mainly
hydrogen, renewable gas and bio energy.
Hydrogen and electricity production from renewable re-
sources are now and will be in the future the main contribu-
tors of the transition to 100% renewable energies.
To integrate renewable hydrogen and electricity to the
existing system requires the overall planning of the energy
system locally, nationally and globally. Hydrogen as one of the
most abundant elements in nature and one of the most effi-
cient energy carriers, is ready to help the solution in Energy,
mainly for transportation and storage technologies.
references
[1] Olav Hohmeyer. Social costs of energy consumption:
external effects of electricity generation in the Federal
Republic of Germany. Berlin: Springer-Verlag; 1988.
[2] Pearce DW, Palmer C, editors. Economics and epidemiology:
the nature and economic value of health effects from air
pollution. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, forthcoming; 2002.
Preliminary papers can be viewed at, www.unece.org/env/
nebei [accessed 26 April 2016].
[3] IEA implementing agreements background and framework
as of 2003, http://www.iea-4e.org/files/otherfiles/0000/0042/
Framework_text.pdf, [accessed 5 May 2016].
[4] Hohmeyer Olav H, Bohm So nke. Trends toward 100%
renewable electricity supply in Germany and Europe: a
paradigm shift in energy policies. WIREs Energy Environ
2015;4:74e97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/wene.128.
[5] Connolly D, Lund H, Mathiesen BV. Smart Energy Europe: the
technical and economic impact of one potential 100%
renewable energy scenario for the European Union. 2016.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.02.025.
[6] Krakowski Vincent, Assoumou Edi, Mazauric Vincent,
Mazi Nadia. Feasible path toward 40e100% renewable
energy shares for power supply in France by 2050: a
prospective analysis. 2016. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/
j.apenergy.2016.03.094.
[7] https://www.energystar.gov/, [accessed 5 May 2016].
[8] http://energytransition.de/, [accessed 26 April 2016].
[9] http://energy.gov/eere/downloads/revolution-now-future-
arrives-five-clean-energy-technologies-2015-update,
[accessed 27 April 2016].
[10] International Renewable Energy Conference, www.irenec.
org, [accessed 6 May 2016].
[11] http://www.go100re.net/about-us/ambassadors/, [accessed 3
May 2016].
[12] Betsy Agar (Renewable Cities, Centre for Dialogue, Simon
Fraser University) Pia Buschmann (deENet Competence
Network distributed Energy Technologies e.V.) Anna
Leidreiter (World Future Council) OUTCOME REPORT Kassel
International Dialogue on 100% Renewable Energy Kongress
Palais, Kassel, Germany 10-11 November 2015 https://
go100re.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Kassel-Final-
Report_160216.pdf, [accessed 25 May 16].
[13] Frankfurt School FS-UNEP Collaborating Center. Global
trends in renewable energy investments 2016. 2016. Page 12,
Figure-1.
[14] Kalnc Yldz. Alternative energy scenarios for Bozcaada island,
Turkey. 2015. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2015.02.001.
[15] Coal Prices,https://www.quandl.com/collections/markets/
coal, [accessed 6 July 2016].
[16] Crude Oil Prices, https://www.quandl.com/collections/
markets/crude-oil, [accessed 6 July 2016].