Abstract
This study presents a techno-economic performance evaluation of a hybrid low-concentrating photovoltaic/thermal (LCPV/T) plant, which operates in a student sports and wellness center building situated at a university campus in Mexico. The solar plant comprises 144 LCPV/T collectors based on a hybridized version of a local parabolic trough technology. Dynamic thermal and electrical performance analyses were performed in the TRNSYS simulation studio. The results showed that the solar field could cover up to 72% of the hot water demand of the building during the summer season and 24% during the winter season. The hybrid system could annually save 7185 USD, accounting for heat (natural gas boiler) and electricity generation. However, the payback time was of 19.23 years, which was mainly attributed to a reduced natural gas price in Monterrey, Mexico. A new approach to evaluating the equivalent levelized cost of heat (LCOHeq), is proposed. This results in an LCOHeq of 0.065 USD/kWh, which is nearly equivalent to the LCOH of a natural gas-fired boiler (0.067 USD/kWh). Finally, the hybrid plant could achieve a specific CO2e emission reduction of 77.87 kg CO2e per square meter of the required installation area.
Highlights
Buildings account for almost half of the final energy consumption, which is mainly associated with fossil fuels
This study presents a techno–economic performance evaluation of an low-concentrating photovoltaic/thermal (LCPV/T) plant for a student sport and wellness center building situated in Monterrey, Mexico
The results presented must be interpreted considering the following limitations
Summary
Buildings account for almost half of the final energy consumption, which is mainly associated with fossil fuels. Hybrid solar photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) collectors can simultaneously produce thermal and electrical energies, thereby reducing the area required for installation in comparison to stand-alone photovoltaics and thermal collectors This characteristic is convenient for buildings because of the limited roof area and energy consumption profile (both thermal and electrical). Sotehi et al [1] presented a theoretical approach of a net zero energy building using hybrid PV/T solar collectors in Ouargla City. They found that the PV/T collectors can cover both the hot water and the electrical annual demand of the building
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