Abstract
New energy solutions are needed to decrease the currently high electricity costs from conventional electricity-only central power plants in Cyprus. A promising solution is a decentralized, hybrid photovoltaic-solid oxide fuel cell (PV-SOFC) system. In this study a decentralized, hybrid PV-SOFC system is investigated as a solution for useful energy supply to a commercial building (small hotel). An actual load profile and solar/weather data are fed to the system model to determine the thermoeconomic characteristics of the proposed system. The maximum power outputs for the PV and SOFC subsystems are 70 and 152 kWe, respectively. The average net electrical and total efficiencies for the SOFC subsystem are 0.303 and 0.700, respectively. Maximum net electrical and total efficiencies reach up to 0.375 and 0.756, respectively. The lifecycle cost for the system is 1.24 million USD, with a unit cost of electricity at 0.1057 USD/kWh. In comparison to the conventional case, the unit cost of electricity is about 50% lower, while the reduction in CO2 emissions is about 36%. The proposed system is capable of power and heat generation at a lower cost, owing to the recent progress in both PV and fuel cell technologies, namely longer lifetime and lower specific cost.
Highlights
Efforts to increase energy efficiency have intensified over recent years due to the rapid increase of fossil fuel prices and the need to decrease harmful emissions to the atmosphere [1]
In lower temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), CHP systems have been primarily applied at the kW scale, for smaller residential applications, where low-grade heat is usually adequate to cover residential load profiles, such as space heating and domestic hot water preparation [4,5]
The current study considers both solar/weather data and an actual load profile for a commercial building for the whole year
Summary
Efforts to increase energy efficiency have intensified over recent years due to the rapid increase of fossil fuel prices and the need to decrease harmful emissions to the atmosphere [1]. For small-scale residential applications, SOFC-based, natural gas-fueled micro-CHP systems have been proposed through thermoeconomic modeling and optimization techniques and improved operational strategies [12,13]. The combination of RES with fuel cell technology is a more environmentally friendly solution than decentralized hybrid photovoltaic (PV)-gas turbine systems, because in the latter case emissions are generated on-site, i.e., near the serviced buildings [17,18]. The current study considers both solar/weather data and an actual load profile for a commercial building for the whole year This approach leads to a more accurate determination of the thermoeconomic characteristics of the proposed system, allowing a direct comparison to conventional useful energy generation. Facilitatedhybrid to lay out the characteristics of the proposed hybrid system
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
