A systematic review on green hydrogen for off-grid communities –technologies, advantages, and limitations

Approximately 3.5 billion people worldwide lack reliable and sustainable energy services, mostly in poor off-grid areas of developing countries. Variable renewable energies are options for these communities. However, their high intermittence and complex storage limit their benefits. Green hydrogen research has advanced significantly to the point that some scholars consider it the future's clean energy solution. Multiple applications within the transport, electricity and storage sectors have been envisaged. However, little has been discussed about its potential to provide affordable, dependable, and sustainable energy for the world's poorest. This paper addresses this gap by analyzing the literature on green hydrogen research, its technologies, and its potential implementation in off-grid communities. First, a quantitative bibliometric approach is developed to size and make sense of the green hydrogen research literature. Then, an in-depth review is performed following Dawood et al.'s four-corners framework, categorizing hydrogen research into production, storage, use, and safety. This systematic review unveils green hydrogen's most promising technologies for off-grid applications. It identifies their advantages, limitations, and barriers to widespread dissemination. Thus, this study's primary contributions lie in determining the relationship between published works and identifying gaps in considering green hydrogen as a viable energy alternative for the poor.