Solar Energy for Sustainable Fuel: a Self Sustainable Brazilian Laboratory for Green Hydrogen and Ammonia
Abstract
This paper presents the design, implementation, and safety framework of a self-sustainable green hydrogen and ammonia laboratory located in Florianópolis, southern Brazil (27°25'50.2\"S, 48°26'27.7\"W). The facility is primarily powered by photovoltaic (PV) energy and supported by a battery energy storage system (BESS), including second-life lithium-ion batteries, within a multifunctional building that integrates rainwater harvesting for electrolysis. The laboratory combines anion exchange membrane electrolysers with a pilot-scale Haber–Bosch ammonia synthesis unit to produce renewable hydrogen and ammonium-based fertilizers for agrivoltaic research. Beyond infrastructure description, the study analyzes the operational performance of photovoltaic-driven hydrogen production under real operating conditions. Dynamic PV–electrolyser coupling, control strategies to mitigate power fluctuations, and the impact of battery storage on system stability and annual operating hours are evaluated. Results show that while direct PV coupling maximizes instantaneous renewable energy use, battery integration significantly improves operational continuity by increasing electrolyser full-load hours. The laboratory serves as a replicable reference for integrated solar-to-hydrogen and solar-to-ammonia systems in Brazil and similar contexts.
Keywords
Green Hydrogen, Green Ammonia, Electrolysis, Haber-Bosch Process, BIPV