Rooftop Agrivoltaic Powered Onsite Hydrogen Production for Insulated Gasochromic Smart Glazing and Hydrogen Vehicles: A Holistic Approach to Sustainable Residential Building

The study focused on designing a sustainable building involving rooftop agrivoltaics, advanced glazing technologies and onsite hydrogen production for a residential property in Birmingham, UK where green hydrogen produced by harnessing electricity generated by agrivoltaics system on rooftop of the building is employed to change the transparency of vacuum gasochromic glazing and refuel hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle using storage hydrogen for a sustainable building approach. The change in the transparency of the glazing reduces the energy requirement of the building according to the occupant’s requirement and weather conditions. This research investigates the performance of various rooftop agrivoltaic systems, including vertical, optimal 30◦ tilt and dome setups for both monofacial and bifacial agrivoltaic consisting of tomato farming. Promising results were observed for agrivoltaic systems with consistent tomato production of 0.31 kg/m2 with varying shading experienced due to the different photovoltaic setups. Maximum electricity is produced by bifacial 30◦ with 7919 kWh, though the lowest LCOE can be observed by monofacial 30◦ with £0.061/kWh. It also compares the efficiency of vacuum gasochromic windows against double glazing, vacuum double glazing, electrochromic and gasochromic options, which can play an essential role in energy saving and reduced carbon emission. Vacuum gasochromic demonstrated the lowest U-value of 1.32 Wm2 K, though it has the highest thickness with 24.6 mm. Additionally, the study examines the feasibility of small-scale green hydrogen production from the electricity generated by agrivoltaics to fuel hydrogen vehicles and glazing, considering the economic viability. The results suggested that the hydrogen required by the glazing accounts for 52.56 g annually, and the maximum distance that can be covered theoretically is by bifacial 30◦, which is approximately 64.23 km per day. The interdisciplinary approach aims to optimise land use, enhance energy efficiency, and promote sustainable urban agriculture to contribute to the UK’s goal of increasing solar energy capacity and achieving net-zero emissions while addressing food security concerns. The findings of this study have potential implications for urban planning, renewable energy integration, especially solar and sustainable residential design.