engleski

Role of Fuel Cells in PV-based Systems for Remote Sites

Several system configurations of PV systems for powering the telecommunication base stations in remote sites have been analyzed and compared. It has been found that the use of fuel cells not only as a back-up but also as supplement power results in reduced size of PV panels and reduced number of batteries required. Possibility of producing hydrogen improves system's autonomy albeit at higher overall cost. The results of this analysis indicate that the fuel cell systems still result in higher cost of electricity than the conventional systems with batteries and diesel generator, but this difference in cost of electricity may be justified by other advantages of fuel cells such as higher reliability, higher operational range, lower noise and lower environmental impact. Furthermore, uncertain oil prices and fast developing fuel cell and hydrogen technologies could make the fuel cells even more attractive for these applications in near future.

Stand-alone Power Systems; Fuel Cells; Telecommunications

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