Many energy consuming applications are beyond the realm of a distributed power network.  In the state of Nevada there are an estimated 10,000 off-grid locations with costs up to $500,000 to be connected to the electrical grid. These applications require an economical and environmentally friendly means for constant and sufficient power.  It is the goal of this study to develop and evaluate a system to supply power for this current and future demand. 

The system consists of a mobile unit with inverters, batteries, an electrolyzer, hydrogen storage, propane storage, an internal combustion engine generator, and a computer unit.  A renewable energy source and a water source from the site are connected to the trailer.  The residential load was met using solar renewable energy in the form of solar panels and wind turbines.  The mobile device can be brought to off-grid locations to supply the electricity requirements of a typical residential lifestyle.

This system can replace the current fossil fueled power systems and/or reliance on the electrical grid that requires the dependence on non-renewable materials harmful to the environment.  The system was designed, built and tested at two locations to study the feasibility and effectiveness of the configuration.  One test location was an off-grid residential application to acquire real data.  Reliability and robustness were proven through testing at these locations.  The current system meets a typical off-grid residential load demand of 7 kWhr/day using a minimal amount of propane.  The data collected allows for the design of a system that will meet different residential load demands.

An important aspect of this system is the efficiency.  Renewable energy is a great source but not consistent; therefore the effectiveness of energy storage is crucial.  Studying the efficiency of the system gives a perspective on how a hydrogen renewable energy power system can compare with fossil fuel based systems.  Each component’s efficiency was calculated and compared to alternatives and fossil fuel based systems.