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Addressing resource intermittency is crucial for designing effective and economical renewable energy systems for many applications. Hydrogen as long-term energy storage medium shows promise for increasing renewables penetration into the grid. Cost-effective hybrid wind-hydrogen microgrids (HWHMs) require system-level sizing of each subcomponent. This study employs low-order HWHM component models in a system-level framework to predict HWHM performance. It introduces a novel approach to investigate the optimal sizing of HWHMs. The study uniquely addresses the impact of wind speed fluctuation amplitudes and frequency variations on system design – an area not previously explored. The model is run for 7 days using several different wind speed profiles and real load demand data from an off-grid Naval facility on an island in California. In our test cases, the findings indicate that fewer wind turbines and more hydrogen tanks are required to successfully meet demand when wind speed fluctuations increase. For example, when the wind speed fluctuation increases from 0.68 to 2.04 m/s, and the wind turbine is expected to maintain an average power equivalent to 90% of the peak load, the turbine capacity drops by 17%, requiring a 304% rise in the number of tanks. However, the frequency of wind speed variation has a negligible effect on the optimal HWHM configuration. Through a rule-based optimization algorithm, this research offers important insights for designing reliable microgrids capable of meeting critical loads despite highly variable wind conditions. 

To meet 2050 decarbonization goals, Massachusetts will not be able to rely on carbon intensive energy sources (e.g. natural gas and gasoline) and hydrogen has been considered a replacement. To produce hydrogen without carbon emissions, renewable energy sources will be used to power electrolyzer stacks. However, renewable energy sources will also be in high demand for other energy sectors, such as automobiles and electrification. This paper estimates the amount of wind energy needed to replace natural gas with hydrogen and electrify automobiles. Comparisons are also made for a scenario in which heat pumps are used to replace natural gas. These energy sectors represent the bulk of energy consumed within Massachusetts and are of high interest to stakeholders globally. The analysis reveals the daunting amount of wind energy needed for replacement and that it is highly unlikely for hydrogen to replace natural gas in time to meet the state’s climate goals.