Abstract
Small-scale decentralized polygeneration systems have several energetic, economic and environmental benefits. However, using multiple energy sources and providing multiple energy services can lead to complicated studies which require advanced optimization techniques for determining optimal solutions. Furthermore, several parameters can influence the design and performance of a polygeneration system. In this study, the effects of heat load, renewable generation and storage units on the optimal design and performance of a polygeneration system for a hypothetical hospital located in northern Italy are investigated. The polygeneration system shows higher performance compared to the reference system, which is based on the separate generation of heat and power. It reduces fuel consumption by 14–32%, CO2 emissions by 10–29% and annualized total cost by 7–19%, for various studied scenarios. The avoided fuel and electricity purchase of the polygeneration system has a positive impact on the economy. This, together with the environmental and energetic benefits if the renewable generation and use of storage devices, indicate the viability and competitiveness of the system.
Highlights
Residential and commercial buildings consume about 20% of the total useful energy delivered to end users [1] and about 31% of primary energy consumption worldwide [2]
Other metrics used in this study for the economic analysis and feasibility study are the net present value (NPV), payback period (PBP), internal rate of return (IRR) and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE)
The polygeneration system was optimized for the three design scenarios and two load types L01 and L02, as described previously
Summary
Residential and commercial buildings consume about 20% of the total useful energy delivered to end users [1] and about 31% of primary energy consumption worldwide [2]. The system achieved higher benefits in terms of energy and environment compared to the separate heat and power generation, while the economy of the system was relatively poor. Models including all the critical components such as cold storage, thermal chiller, photovoltaic (PV) modules, solar thermal units and batteries require further development with more realistic assumptions Adding these components to a conventional combined cooling, heating and CCHP system create complexity. The effect of part-load operation and outdoor temperature on the power output and efficiency of the combined heat and power (CHP) system are considered This is often omitted for simplification purposes in optimal design of complex polygeneration systems. In this study, the optimal design of a polygeneration system for a hypothetical hospital is identified and its performance in terms of energy, economy and environment has been investigated. The effect of electricity and gas prices on the feasibility and performance of the optimization system has been evaluated briefly through a sensitivity analysis
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