Configuration Optimization with Operation Strategy of Solar-assisted Building Cooling Heating and Power System to Minimize Energy Consumption

Abstract

This work designs a novel hybrid building cooling heating and power (BCHP) system incorporating with solar energy and natural gas. A basic natural gas BCHP system containing power generation unit, heat recovery system, hybrid cooling system and storage tank is integrated with solar photovoltaic (PV) and/or thermal collector. Optimization methodology with genetic algorithm (GA) is applied to optimize the configuration of the solar-assisted BCHP system for minimizing primary energy consumption. BCHP schemes are optimized in following electrical load (FEL) and following thermal load (FTL) operation strategies respectively. The result indicates that BCHP system in the FEL mode consumes less energy consumption than in the FTL mode to meet building demands. But the FTL mode would be superior to FEL mode at taking the surplus products from the hybrid BCHP system into consideration.