Cleaner production of energy and fuels from a renewable energy-based self-sufficient system with energy storage options

Abstract

The present study investigates a newly developed solar and wind-driven integrated energy system to achieve self-sufficiency for communities in a sustainable fashion. In order to overcome the fluctuating nature of solar and wind sources, energy storage options are considered through reliable meteorological data and capacities. The non-thermal electricity, heat, and cooling demands of a community with 65,000 people are met by using a 340 MW wind farm and 1500 MWp linear Fresnel concentrated solar system coupled with thermal energy storage. The integrated system consists of a wind farm with 170 wind turbines, linear Fresnel concentrated solar plant, molten salt energy storage tanks, steam Rankine cycle, lithium-bromide absorption refrigeration cycle, anion exchange membrane electrolysis unit, multi-effect distillation desalination unit, district heating system. Both steady-state analysis for different operating conditions and time-dependent analysis with changing source and load data are carried out from energy and exergy aspects of thermodynamics. The proposed system was able to meet 100 % of 363,344.7 MWh of electricity, 544,468.2 MWh of heat, and 192,112.7 MWh of cooling loads in a year; moreover, it generated 24,142 kt of fresh water and 38,843 t of hydrogen in a year, in order to exploit the excess and waste energy. For the overall integrated system, the average energy and exergy efficiencies are found to be 37.69 % and 28.27 %, respectively. In order to benefit from the full potential of wind and solar-based systems in a combined, the current study provides a unique solution with energy storage option and generates multiple useful outputs for the targeted communities in a sustainable manner.