Fronius Solhub Desigend to move.
From fossil fuels to renewable energies: the energy revolution is coming for municipalities and industrial companies alike. And it’s a straightforward transition with the Fronius Solhub.
The Fronius Solhub is the system solution for producing, storing, distributing and reconverting green hydrogen from solar energy, allowing you to establish a customised mobility and energy solution that harnesses the power of 24 hours of sun, regardless of the time of day or season.
Completely sustainable and from a single source. Fronius Solhub. Designed to move.
From a single source: your made-to-measure solution
You don’t need your own PV system, any existing structures or prior knowledge to use green hydrogen from solar energy. With the Fronius Solhub, we offer you a tailor-made complete solution – including taking care of all official procedures and providing you with ongoing support. Our solution uses standard containers and is therefore fully scalable and multipliable.
- Customised complete solution
- Sustainable energy and mobility
- Energy storage
- Use of waste heat
- Service station for H2 vehicles
Benefits of green hydrogen
Green hydrogen (H2) is a versatile energy carrier that can be applied to decarbonize a wide range of sectors. It can be used directly or in the form of its derivatives like e-methanol, e-ammonia, or e-fuels to replace fossil fuels, coal or gas. Only around 40% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions originate from power generation which can be decarbonized via electrification. The other 60% of CO2 emissions originate from industry, mobility, buildings and others. These can be decarbonized via sector coupling, using green hydrogen and its derivatives to make renewable energy available to those sectors. This is why the production of sustainable hydrogen is such a crucial issue.
EFCF 2023: Low-Temperature Fuel Cells, Electrolysers H2 Processing Forum
Siemens Energy participated in this year’s European Fuel Cell Forum (EFCF), which took place in Lucerne, Switzerland, in early July 2023. Carlo Locci presented his poster A1519: Scaling up electrolysis production: challenges and perspectives. If you want to learn more about it, please follow the link to the recorded presentation.
Generating green hydrogen efficiently from water and renewable energy requires high-end technology and innovative solutions — like the Silyzer product family from Siemens Energy. Using Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysis, the Silyzer is ideally suited for harnessing volatile energy generated from wind and solar. Combining high efficiency and high power density, our PEM electrolyzers ensure gas products of superior quality. It is easy to operate and requires low maintenance. Using a modular design strategy that splits the electrolysis system into skids, we are able to optimize costs, reduce installation costs, and make the electrolysis system transportable.
The heart of the PEM electrolyzer, stacks combined in groups. Prefabricated for modular and fast installation on site. The Wunsiedel electrolyzer with 8.5 MW on site.
Grid integration and safety first are in our DNA. Transformers and in-house developed rectifier configurations are part of our scope. The picture showcases the 17.5 MW electrolysis.
The compact design of the 17.5 MW electrolysis plant. With our longstanding experience in the energy industry, we ensure the smooth implementation of large-scale projects and provide comprehensive electrolysis plant services.
Upscaling to a higher power level is demonstrated in the 50 MW reference plant. The modular design of the 17.5 MW electrolysis plant facilitates the design of larger plants up to gigawatt capacity.
Download: Silyzer 300 factsheet
H2 tanks
The storage of green hydrogen is essential to guarantee the stability of supply required by the Fertiberia plant and to make efficient use of renewable energy production. A total of 11 tanks that allow the storage of 6,000 kg of green H2 at 60 bars.
Each tank has a volume of 133 m3 and dimensions of 23.5 m height and 2.8 m in diameter. They weigh 77 tonnes empty and are made of a special steel with a sheet thickness of 4.5 cm to contain hydrogen, given the small size of this particle.
Puertollano II photovoltaic plant
The new facility for the production of green H2 from 100% renewable sources consists of a solar photovoltaic plant with an installed capacity of 100 MW.
The installation incorporates state-of-the-art technologies, such as bifacial panels, which allow for higher production by having two light-sensitive surfaces, and string inverters, which improve performance and make better use of the surface area.
Underground power line
Dedicated underground power line for exclusive use to ensure that all energy used in the electrolyser is renewable and environmental impact is minimised.
Green Hydrogen plant for industrial use
The new plant, which will become operational in 2022, is being developed in the municipality of Puertollano, a prime location with an important industrial hub. It is also the location of the National Hydrogen Centre, which has advised on the project since its inception. In addition, the project will help advance the technological maturity of green hydrogen and make it a solution for efficient decarbonisation in the medium term.
Iberdrola has selected the European company Nel Hydrogen Electrolyser — a division of Nel ASA — as its preferred supplier for the construction of the hydrogen production system by electrolysis, which will be based on its Proton PEM ® solution. For its part, the Basque company Elecnor will be responsible for the electrical assembly of the Puertollano plant and will supply equipment such as electrical panels and cabinets, support, conduits and luminaries, while Construcciones Electromecánicas Consonni will manufacture medium-voltage equipment at its Bilbao plant.
Learn how green hydrogen is extracted.
Iberdrola, a pioneer in renewable energies, is committed to green hydrogen.
Iberdrola, green hydrogen pioneer
A 100 MW SOLAR PLANT WITH THE LATEST INNOVATIONS
The solar plant (100 MW) has already obtained a positive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and will have several innovations:
- The installation will have bifacial panels, never used before in company projects, which enable greater production since they have two light-sensitive surfaces and provide a longer useful life.
- The plant has been designed with cluster inverters or string inverters, which improve the yield and allow better use of the surface area.
- The project will have a storage system, which will facilitate plant management. The battery system (with 5 MW of power) will have a storage capacity of 20 MWh.
IBERDROLA AND FERTIBERIA PLAN 830 MW OF GREEN HYDROGEN
The alliance between Iberdrola and Fertiberia aims to place Spain at the forefront of green hydrogen in Europe and make it a technological benchmark in the production and use of this resource, especially in the field of electrolysis. To this end, both companies have launched a comprehensive project that includes the development of 830 MW of green hydrogen with an investment of 1.8 billion euros until 2027.
The innovation initiative, which will start with the commissioning of the Puertollano complex, could be completed with a plan to multiply the capacity of this first plant by 40 with the development of three other projects between 2023 and 2027, which would be carried out at the Fertiberia plant in this municipality of Ciudad Real and at the Palos de la Frontera plant in Huelva.
The plan would achieve 830 MW of electrolysis, equivalent to 20 % of the national target of 4 GW installed by 2030, and would ensure that around 25 % of the hydrogen currently consumed in Spain would not generate CO2 emissions. The annual production of hydrogen, which is used as a raw material in the refining, chemical and fertiliser industries, is 0.5 Mt H2/year and this generates emissions of 5 Mt CO2/year. Worldwide this figure grows to 830 Mt of CO2/year (more than 2 % of global emissions).
In addition, the initiative, which represents an investment or 1.8 billion euros, would contribute to the development of the entire value chain, creating almost 4,000 skilled jobs (2,000 of them already in 2023) through 500 local suppliers.
The project, which is the result of private and public collaboration, is created with the same ambition that the government has shown in its Green Hydrogen Roadmap and would require support from the European Recovery Fund for the implementation of the last three stages. The European Union has launched a strategy to boost green hydrogen: it aims to have 40 GW of green hydrogen electrolysers in just 10 years.
Solar Hydrogen: A Future Market Opportunity
Solar hydrogen is a renewable energy source that can be used to power homes and businesses. Solar hydrogen is produced by using solar panels to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can then be stored and used as a fuel for powering homes and businesses. Solar hydrogen is a clean, renewable, and sustainable energy source that can help to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
How Can Solar Energy Be Used To Produce Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, and it has the potential to be a clean, renewable energy source. Solar energy can be used to produce hydrogen through a process called water electrolysis. In this process, water is broken down into its constituent parts – hydrogen and oxygen – by an electric current. The hydrogen can then be used as fuel in a fuel cell, which produces electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.
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Solar hydrogen could have a significant impact on the future of energy production. Hydrogen is a very versatile fuel, and it can be used in a variety of ways. For example, it can be used to power vehicles, generate electricity, or to heat homes and businesses. Solar hydrogen could also be used to store excess energy from solar panels when there is more sun than we need – for example, on sunny days or during a heatwave. This stored energy could then be used on cloudy days or at night, when solar panels are not producing as much electricity.
There are many challenges that need to be addressed before solar hydrogen becomes a reality, but it is an exciting possibility for the future of renewable energy.
Solar Hydrogen Production Methods
Solar hydrogen production methods are being developed that have the potential to provide a cost-effective, environmentally friendly way to produce hydrogen fuel. These methods utilize solar energy to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, and can be used to produce hydrogen gas or liquid fuels.
One method of solar hydrogen production uses photovoltaic cells to generate electricity, which is then used to power an electrolyzer that splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. This method has been demonstrated on a small scale, but is not yet commercially viable.
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Another promising method of solar hydrogen production utilizes concentrated solar power (CSP) to generate heat, which is then used to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. CSP systems use mirrors or lenses to concentrate sunlight onto a central receiver, where the heat is then used to generate electricity or heat a working fluid. This heat can then be used to power an electrolyzer or other device that splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. This method has the potential to be scaled up to commercial levels, and is currently being developed by several companies.
Solar hydrogen production has the potential to provide a clean, renewable source of fuel for the future. These methods are still in development but hold promise for providing an environmentally friendly way to produce hydrogen fuel on a large scale.
Solar Hydrogen Market Potential
The potential for solar hydrogen is vast. The market opportunity for this technology is still in its early stages, but it is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. As the cost of solar panels and other renewable energy technologies continue to decline, solar hydrogen will become an increasingly attractive option for businesses and homeowners alike.
There are a number of factors that will contribute to the growth of the solar hydrogen market. First, the price of traditional fossil fuels is expected to rise in the future, making renewable energy sources like solar more competitive. Additionally, government policies and regulations are likely to continue to favor renewable energy over fossil fuels, providing a boost to the solar hydrogen market.
Finally, public opinion is increasingly supportive of renewable energy sources like solar. A recent poll found that nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that the United States should prioritize developing renewable energy over fossil fuels. This growing support is likely to translate into increased demand for solar hydrogen products and services.
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Ryan joined pv magazine in 2021, bringing experience from a top residential solar installer, and a U. S.