preprints.org > engineering > energy and fuel technology > doi: 10.20944/preprints202408.1145.v1 (registering DOI)

Preprint Article Version 1 This version is not peer-reviewed

Version 1 : Received: 14 August 2024 / Approved: 15 August 2024 / Online: 15 August 2024 (14:32:47 CEST)

Integrated photovoltaic-fuel cell (IPVFC) systems have the potential to contribute to sustainable energy production for grid and off-grid applications. While there are studies focusing on fundamental science and designs for IPVFC systems, there are scarcely studies that have focused on the manufacturability of IPVFC systems, which is certainly the pathway for commercialisation of the systems. This study explores manufacturing strategies that can be considered for exploiting a family of eleven IPVFC systems. A survey and systems thinking were used to investigate the potential modularisation and supply chain management to achieve optimal lean and agile manufacturing strategy. Results show that the Photovoltaic-Thermal-Separate Converter/Inverter-Battery System received 25% of the responses. The optimal manufacturing strategy depends on the overall business strategy of the firm. Although 17% preference for System 1 is significant compared to four members of the family of IPVFC systems (Systems 2, 6, 8 and 9) that received only 2% of the responses, it indicates that there is a likelihood that the demand for System 1 will be among the top 42% of the total demand. Overall, this study provides new insights on how the family of IPVFC systems can contribute to realising greater access to clean energy, by extension contributing to the net-zero efforts using solar energy and solar hydrogen.

Renewable energy technologies; Supply chain management; Lean and agile manufacturing; Modularisation; IPVFC systems; Decarbonisation; Hydrogen; Distributed generation; Manufacturing management; Domain-based thinking; Model-based systems engineering

Engineering, Energy and Fuel Technology

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