Optimizing Hydrogen Integration in Urban Energy Systems for Hot Climates: Simulation and Control Insights from Switzerland and Morocco

Swiss partners

• EMPA: Georgios Mavromatidis, Binod Prasad Koirala

 MENA partners

• Green Energy Park: Niima Es-sakali, Imad Ait Laasri

Presentation of the project

Cities in hot climates face a growing energy challenge: how to meet rising demand for electricity, especially for cooling, while transitioning to low-carbon systems. Hydrogen is increasingly viewed as a flexible solution, with the potential to store excess solar power and provide energy when it is most needed. While Morocco does not experience strong seasonal variation, its high solar potential and daily fluctuations in PV production versus energy demand create a need for medium-duration energy storage. Hydrogen offers an attractive complement to batteries, providing higher-density storage and the ability to serve multiple sectors including power, thermal loads, and potentially mobility. But its role in urban environments remains uncertain. Can hydrogen outperform other options like batteries or thermal storage? Under what conditions does it add value? And how can it be operated efficiently in real time?

This Swiss–Moroccan research collaboration addresses these questions by investigating the integration of hydrogen into urban energy systems in Morocco. The project is jointly led by Empa’s Urban Energy Systems Laboratory and Green Energy Park (GEP), and combines advanced modeling tools with real-world data from Moroccan testbeds.

Using a novel bi-level approach, the project links system design with real-time operation. A techno-economic model explores how hydrogen can be sized and integrated into local energy networks, while a predictive control layer simulates how the system would perform under dynamic conditions such as solar variability and cooling-driven peaks. The modeling includes the full hydrogen supply chain, from production via electrolysis to storage and end use.

The work is grounded in case studies from different Moroccan cities, selected for their climatic and urban diversity. These ensure that the insights are transferable to a range of real-world settings across the MENA region.

In addition to generating new knowledge, the project strengthens scientific cooperation between Switzerland and Morocco. Its outcomes will inform future research, support practical energy planning, and contribute to long-term strategies for decarbonizing cities in hot climates.