An Optimization Case Study of Hybrid Energy System in Four Different Regions of India

Energy-related activities are a major contributor of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A growing body of knowledge clearly depicts the links between human activities and climate change. Over the last century the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil and other human activities has released carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and other heat-trapping GHG emissions into the atmosphere and thus increased the concentration of atmospheric CO2 emissions. The main human activities that emit CO2 emissions are (1) the combustion of fossil fuels to generate electricity, accounting for about 37% of total U.S. CO2 emissions and 31% of total U.S. GHG emissions in 2013, (2) the combustion of fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel to transport people and goods, accounting for about 31% of total U.S. CO2 emissions and 26% of total U.S. GHG emissions in 2013, and (3) industrial processes such as the production and consumption of minerals and chemicals, accounting for about 15% of total U.S. CO2 emissions and 12% of total ...

The United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE)’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is spearheading a program with industry to deploy and independently monitor five kilowatt-electric (kWe) combined heat and power (CHP) fuel cell systems (FCSs) in light commercial buildings. This publication discusses results from PNNL’s research efforts to independently evaluate manufacturer-stated engineering, economic, and environmental performance of these CHP FCSs at installation sites. The analysis was done by developing parameters for economic comparison of CHP installations. Key thermodynamic terms are first defined, followed by an economic analysis using both a standard accounting approach and a management accounting approach. Key economic and environmental performance parameters are evaluated, including (1) the average per unit cost of the CHP FCSs per unit of power, (2) the average per unit cost of the CHP FCSs per unit of energy, (3) the change in greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollution emissions with a switch from conventional power plants and furnaces to CHP FCSs; (4) the change in GHG mitigation costs from the switch; and (5) the change in human health costs related to air pollution. CHP FCS heat utilization is expected to be less than 100% at several installation sites. Specifically at six of the installation sites, during periods of minimum building heat demand (i.e. summer season), the average in-use CHP FCS heat recovery efficiency based on the higher heating value of natural gas is expected to be only 24.4%. From the power perspective, the average per unit cost of electrical power is estimated to span a range from $15–19,000/kilowatt-electric (kWe) (depending on site-specific changes in installation, fuel, and other costs), while the average per unit cost of electrical and heat recovery power varies between $7,000 and $9,000/kW. From the energy perspective, the average per unit cost of electrical energy ranges from $0.38 to $0.46/kilowatt-hour-electric (kWhe), while the average per unit cost per unit of electrical and heat recovery energy varies from $0.18 to $0.23/kWh. These values are calculated from engineering and economic performance data provided by the manufacturer (not independently measured data). The GHG emissions were estimated to decrease by one-third by shifting from a conventional energy system to a CHP FCS system. The GHG mitigation costs were also proportional to the changes in the GHG gas emissions. Human health costs were estimated to decrease significantly with a switch from a conventional system to a CHP FCS system. A unique contribution of this paper, reported for the first time here, is the derivation of the per unit cost of power and energy for a CHP device from both standard and management accounting perspectives. These expressions are shown in Eq. (21) and Eq. (31) for power, and in Eq. (24) and Eq. (34) for energy. This derivation shows that the average per unit cost of power is equal to the average per unit cost of electric power applying a management accounting approach to this latter calculation. This term is also equal to the average per unit cost of heat recovery power applying a management accounting approach. A similar set of relations hold for the average per unit cost of energy. These derivations underscore the value of using Eq. (21) for economic analyses to represent the average per unit cost of electrical power, heat recovery power, or both, and using and Eq. (24) for energy.

The United States (U.S.) Department of Energy (DOE)’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is spearheading a program with industry to deploy and independently monitor five kilowatt-electric (kWe) combined heat and power (CHP) fuel cell systems (FCSs) in light commercial buildings. This publication discusses results from PNNL’s research efforts to independently evaluate manufacturer-stated engineering, economic, and environmental performance of these CHP FCSs at installation sites. The analysis was done by developing parameters for economic comparison of CHP installations. Key thermodynamic terms are first defined, followed by an economic analysis using both a standard accounting approach and a management accounting approach. Key economic and environmental performance parameters are evaluated, including (1) the average per unit cost of the CHP FCSs per unit of power, (2) the average per unit cost of the CHP FCSs per unit of energy, (3) the change in greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollution emissions with a switch from conventional power plants and furnaces to CHP FCSs; (4) the change in GHG mitigation costs from the switch; and (5) the change in human health costs related to air pollution. CHP FCS heat utilization is expected to be less than 100% at several installation sites. Specifically at six of the installation sites, during periods of minimum building heat demand (i.e. summer season), the average in-use CHP FCS heat recovery efficiency based on the higher heating value of natural gas is expected to be only 24.4%. From the power perspective, the average per unit cost of electrical power is estimated to span a range from $15–19,000/kilowatt-electric (kWe) (depending on site-specific changes in installation, fuel, and other costs), while the average per unit cost of electrical and heat recovery power varies between $7,000 and $9,000/kW. From the energy perspective, the average per unit cost of electrical energy ranges from $0.38 to $0.46/kilowatt-hour-electric (kWhe), while the average per unit cost per unit of electrical and heat recovery energy varies from $0.18 to $0.23/kWh. These values are calculated from engineering and economic performance data provided by the manufacturer (not independently measured data). The GHG emissions were estimated to decrease by one-third by shifting from a conventional energy system to a CHP FCS system. The GHG mitigation costs were also proportional to the changes in the GHG gas emissions. Human health costs were estimated to decrease significantly with a switch from a conventional system to a CHP FCS system. A unique contribution of this paper, reported for the first time here, is the derivation of the per unit cost of power and energy for a CHP device from both standard and management accounting perspectives. These expressions are shown in Eq. (21) and Eq. (31) for power, and in Eq. (24) and Eq. (34) for energy. This derivation shows that the average per unit cost of power is equal to the average per unit cost of electric power applying a management accounting approach to this latter calculation. This term is also equal to the average per unit cost of heat recovery power applying a management accounting approach. A similar set of relations hold for the average per unit cost of energy. These derivations underscore the value of using Eq. (21) for economic analyses to represent the average per unit cost of electrical power, heat recovery power, or both, and using and Eq. (24) for energy.

This paper describes a fuzzy controlled power management strategies for a grid connected hybrid energy system. The hybrid energy system consists of a Photovoltaic (PV) array model and a Solid Oxide fuel cell (SOFC). As the solar energy is intermittent in nature the system becomes uncontrollable. To make the system controllable and deliver maximum power to the load a fuzzy controlled Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) is used with Fuzzy maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controlled Photovoltaic array to make the output power of the hybrid energy system controllable. The two power management strategies unit power control and feeder flow control strategies are used to operate a grid connected Photovoltaic (PV) array and a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) hybrid energy system. The proposed operating strategy coordinates the two control modes, Unit Power Control (UPC) and feeder-flow control (FFC) mode and make the hybrid system output controllable. The proposed fuzzy controlled hybrid system eliminates the perturbations in the PV output power and transients in the fuel cell voltage and always operates the hybrid energy system at maximum output power with reduced number of mode changes.

The paper presents a case study in Oman to reduce the CO2 emission by diesel-photovoltaic based distributed power system feeding to a house located in remote area. Model of a hybrid power system comprising of a photovoltaic module, along with a diesel generator and essential auxiliary devices is proposed. The actual average solar radiation and residential load data, collected from the meteorological department and local utility office are used in this case study. The simulation results carried out using HOMER software indicate that the proposed hybrid system is attractive to reduce CO2 emission by 38% when compared to the diesel system alone, and by 2.67 % compared to the main interconnected system. The study also includes operational and per unit energy cost estimates. It is seen that the diesel-photovoltaic hybrid system is attractive in terms of operational costs, which is lower by 29.44% compared to the diesel system; while per unit energy cost is 12.08% lower. It may be noted that the cost estimates arrived at for main interconnected system are better in terms of per unit energy cost, which is lower by 8.43 % compared to the proposed hybrid system, while it is not attractive in terms of CO2 emissions. The Kyoto Protocol provides various mechanisms like joint implementation, clean development mechanism and international emission trading that enable countries to acquire GHG reduction credits. The evaluation and deployment of carbon credit is a key component to mitigate the growth in concentration of GHG. Prabhakant and Tiwari (2) have carried out an analysis to determine the carbon credits earned using standalone solar PV system which is encouraging and cost effective than conventional power generation. The other viable option to curb the carbon emission is substantial use of renewable energy along with the conventional resources. The paper presents a case study to reduce the GHG by proposing a Diesel-Photovoltaic Hybrid System (D-PVHS) feeding to a house located in remote area. The reminder of this paper is organised as follows. Second section presents the historical data of CO2 emission and daily residential power demand. Section III estimates the emission factor and energy cost of Main Interconnected System (MIS) feeding to the residential sector. Section IV describes the potential of renewable energy in the Oman. The model development is described in Section V. The application of this case study is explained in section VI. Results and discussion are described in section VII while conclusions of the study are presented in section VIII.

Techno-economic feasibility analysis and optimisation of on/off-grid wind-biogas-CHP hybrid energy system for the electrification of university campus: A case study

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An integrated framework for feasibility analysis and optimal management of a neighborhood-scale energy system with rooftop PV and waste-to-energy technologies

Major US electric utility climate pledges have the potential to collectively reduce power sector emissions by one-third

Fossil fuel-based energy sources are the major contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and thus the use of renewable energy (RE) is becoming the best alternative to cater for the increasing energy demand in both developing and developed nations. Chipendeke is a rural community in Zimbabwe, in which electricity demand is partially served by the only micro-hydro plant and hence, load shedding is a regular practice to keep essential services running. This study explored a suitable opportunity to identify a feasible system with different energy sources that can fulfill the current and projected future load demand of the community. A techno-economic feasibility study for a hybrid RE based power system (REPS) is examined considering various energy sources and cost functions. Six different system configurations have been designed with different sizing combinations to identify the most optimum solution for the locality considering techno-economic and environmental viability. The performance metrics considered to evaluate the best suitable model are; Net Present Cost (NPC), Cost of Energy (COE), Renewable Fraction (RF), excess energy and seasonal load variations. In-depth, sensitivity analyses have been performed to investigate the variations of the studied models with a little variation of input variables. Of the studied configurations, an off-grid hybrid Hydro/PV/DG/Battery system was found to be the most economically feasible compared to other configurations. This system had the lowest NPC and COE of $ \$ $ 307,657 and $ \$ $ 0.165/kWh respectively and the highest RF of 87.5%. The proposed hybrid system could apply to any other remote areas in the region and anywhere worldwide.

Taking Stock of Strategies on Climate Change and the Way Forward: A Strategic Climate Change Framework for Australia

Analysis of nuclear-renewable hybrid energy system for marine ships

Better information on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigation potential in the agricultural sector is necessary to manage these emissions and identify responses that are consistent with the food security and economic development priorities of countries. Critical activity data (what crops or livestock are managed in what way) are poor or lacking for many agricultural systems, especially in developing countries. In addition, the currently available methods for quantifying emissions and mitigation are often too expensive or complex or not sufficiently user friendly for widespread use.The purpose of this focus issue is to capture the state of the art in quantifying greenhouse gases from agricultural systems, with the goal of better understanding our current capabilities and near-term potential for improvement, with particular attention to quantification issues relevant to smallholders in developing countries. This work is timely in light of international discussions and negotiations around how agriculture should be included in efforts to reduce and adapt to climate change impacts, and considering that significant climate financing to developing countries in post-2012 agreements may be linked to their increased ability to identify and report GHG emissions (Murphy et al 2010, CCAFS 2011, FAO 2011).

The assessment of the performance of grid hybrid frameworks depends primarily on the costs and reliability, associated with reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the system. In this work, with objectives based on the minimization of two optimization features, namely loss of power supply probability (LPSP) and cost of energy (COE), multi-objective optimization of a grid-connected PV/wind turbine framework was implemented in the Faculty of Engineering in Gharyan, Libya, with the aim of providing adequate electricity, while optimizing the system’s renewable energy fraction (REF) was the third objective. This research also aimed to estimate the resulting amount of power produced by the hybrid system and mathematical models were submitted. The results showed the share of the total energy supplying the electricity demand for each part of the network. This study subsequently explored the interrelationship of the grid and the proposed hybrid system in relation to the capacity of the network to sell or obtain electricity from the hybrid system. In addition, multi-objective bat algorithm (MOBA) findings were divided into three dominant regions: the first region was the economically optimal solution (lowest COE), the second region was the conceptual perspective of utilizing renewable energies (highest REF), and the final region was the optimal solution with optimal environmental effects (lowest GHG emissions).

BackgroundPolicies to mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions can yield public health benefits by also reducing emissions of hazardous co-pollutants, such as air toxics and particulate matter. Socioeconomically disadvantaged communities are typically disproportionately exposed to air pollutants, and therefore climate policy could also potentially reduce these environmental inequities. We sought to explore potential social disparities in GHG and co-pollutant emissions under an existing carbon trading program—the dominant approach to GHG regulation in the US and globally.Methods and findingsWe examined the relationship between multiple measures of neighborhood disadvantage and the location of GHG and co-pollutant emissions from facilities regulated under California’s cap-and-trade program—the world’s fourth largest operational carbon trading program. We examined temporal patterns in annual average emissions of GHGs, particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, volatile organic compounds, and air toxics before (January 1, 2011–December 31, 2012) and after (January 1, 2013–December 31, 2015) the initiation of carbon trading. We found that facilities regulated under California’s cap-and-trade program are disproportionately located in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods with higher proportions of residents of color, and that the quantities of co-pollutant emissions from these facilities were correlated with GHG emissions through time. Moreover, the majority (52%) of regulated facilities reported higher annual average local (in-state) GHG emissions since the initiation of trading. Neighborhoods that experienced increases in annual average GHG and co-pollutant emissions from regulated facilities nearby after trading began had higher proportions of people of color and poor, less educated, and linguistically isolated residents, compared to neighborhoods that experienced decreases in GHGs. These study results reflect preliminary emissions and social equity patterns of the first 3 years of California’s cap-and-trade program for which data are available. Due to data limitations, this analysis did not assess the emissions and equity implications of GHG reductions from transportation-related emission sources. Future emission patterns may shift, due to changes in industrial production decisions and policy initiatives that further incentivize local GHG and co-pollutant reductions in disadvantaged communities.ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this is the first study to examine social disparities in GHG and co-pollutant emissions under an existing carbon trading program. Our results indicate that, thus far, California’s cap-and-trade program has not yielded improvements in environmental equity with respect to health-damaging co-pollutant emissions. This could change, however, as the cap on GHG emissions is gradually lowered in the future. The incorporation of additional policy and regulatory elements that incentivize more local emission reductions in disadvantaged communities could enhance the local air quality and environmental equity benefits of California’s climate change mitigation efforts.