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Designing self-sufficient renewable energy systems is becoming a key issue in the energy sector due to modern energy goals. Due to the variability of renewable energy sources, very often it is necessary to adopt hybrid configurations of renewable energy systems and advanced energy storage to achieve self-sufficiency. However, the adoption of complex and novel systems, including technologies as photovoltaic, wind turbines, biomass gasifiers, hydrogen energy storage, must to be founded on a comprehensive analysis of the system operation under different conditions and its energy and economic performance in the investigated case study. Therefore, the aim of the present paper is carry out a comprehensive feasibility analysis of a novel hybrid renewable energy system achieving a high self-sufficiency level. The system integrates a wind turbine and photovoltaic panels to match the energy load of a tourist resort in Agkistro, Greece. Energy exceeding the load is directed to the energy storage system based on the battery and hydrogen tank. As backup energy source, a wood gasifier is used. The investigation is performed by means of a numerical model developed in TRNSYS software allowing one to simulate dynamically the system and to assess its energy and economic performance. The goal achieved during the simulation of the system was to ensure at least 97% of energy demand from renewable sources. Moreover, a parametric analysis of the storage system is presented. It is found that payback period of the installation varies in the range between 11 and 15 years, for systems configurations allowing to satisfy 90–98% of the users energy yearly demand from renewables. The achieved results allows one to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed system from both an energy and economic point of view. • Island energy systems in Greece. • Hybrid energy system with both battery and hydrogen energy storage. • 97% reduction of energy produced from fossil fuels with 30% of energy curtailed. • Parametric study concerning sizes of the energy storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A self-sustained, zero-CO 2 emission RES-H 2 Hybrid Energy System (HES) was developed at Lavrion Technological & Cultural Park (Attica, Greece) to cover electric power, heating/cooling loads (tri-generation) of an office building located in its premises. The primary energy is harvested from RES and directly applied to cover contingent loads, whereas the excess energy is converted to hydrogen to be used as energy storage system and thus as a green fuel to cover the building heating needs through direct combustion or to produce combined heating and electricity by means of fuel cells. In this study, the performance of the functional RES-H 2 HES is evaluated as well as its impact by applying the methodology of Life Cycle Assessment. HES resulted in the reduction of Global Warming Potential, Acidification Potential and Photochemical Oxidant Formation by 40%, 42% and 35%, respectively, compared to the exclusive use of Greek energy grid mix for electricity. • Life Cycle Assessment of a hybrid RES-H 2 Hybrid Energy System developed in Greece. • Hybrid Energy System reduced GWP by 40%, compared to the use of GR-energy grid mix. • AP is decreased on Hybrid Energy System by 42%, compared to the GR-energy grid mix. • POF of Hybrid Energy System was 35% less compared to the use of GR-energy grid mix. • Environmental impact of PVs was 5 times higher, compared to WTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]