A systematic review on the optimal planning and performance assessment of hydrogen-integrated renewable energy systems

Document Type

Review

Publication Date

7-1-2026

Abstract

The accelerating global transition toward decarbonization and energy security has driven growing interest in hydrogen-integrated renewable energy systems (HIRESs) as promising solutions for long-term, sustainable energy storage. Despite extensive research, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no systematic review has exclusively synthesized HOMER-based HIRES studies while linking system configurations to specific applications, evaluating temporal cost trends, or ranking key sensitivity parameters. This study bridges this gap by conducting a systematic literature review (SLR) following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, analyzing 122 peer-reviewed studies from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The results revealed a sharp increase in research activity, with 73% of publications appearing between 2019 and 2025, reflecting a growing global interest in HIRESs for decarbonization and energy access. Research output is dominated by Asia and the Middle East, and led by India, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. Technically, Solar PV appears in 85.2% of the systems, followed by electrolyzers (77.9%), and hydrogen tanks (73.0%), forming the backbone of most HIRES configurations. The most optimized architecture integrates PV/wind/batteries/hydrogen tanks, demonstrating a trend toward combining short-(battery) and long-term (hydrogen) storage for improved reliability and cost efficiency. Economic and environmental evaluations are consistently guided by key performance indicators (KPIs), such as Net Present Cost (NPC) (used in 98.4% of studies), Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) (95.9%), Renewable Fraction (RF) (95.9%), and emissions analysis (95.1%). Furthermore, sensitivity analyses consistently identify a core set of critical variables that influence system feasibility. Solar irradiation (47.5%), capital cost (45.9%), load demand (44.3%), and wind speed (39.3%) emerged as the most frequently evaluated parameters, highlighting that resource availability and fundamental economic drivers are the primary determinants of project performance. Most HIRES applications targeted rural and community electrification (32.0%), followed by emerging hydrogen-based uses, including integrated systems (12.3%) and refueling infrastructure (11.5%). By synthesizing best practices, technological advancements, and cost evolution, this study provides strategic insights to guide researchers, engineers, and policymakers to advance the large-scale, cost-efficient, and sustainable deployment of HIRESs.

Keywords

Energy system optimization, Green hydrogen, Hydrogen-integrated renewable energy systems (HIRESs), Levelized cost of energy, Renewable energy systems, Techno-economic analysis

Publication Title

Computers and Electrical Engineering

ISSN

0045-7906

DOI

10.1016/j.compeleceng.2026.111169

Volume

135

Publisher

Elsevier

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS