Operation assessment of a hybrid solar-biomass energy system with absorption refrigeration scenarios

Abstract

ABSTRACT Refrigeration systems claim increasing research attention as the climate crisis intensifies. One of the most well-established viable and feasible solutions is solar cooling, as the necessary cooling energy is produced by exploiting the available solar irradiance. The utilization of solar thermal energy to produce cooling energy by absorption chillers fed by a driving heat source (such as solar energy) to produce cooling power. Existing works in the literature present mainly case studies and simulations for small-scale systems (less than 50 kWc). The case study presented investigates the performance of a single-effect 316 kWc absorption chiller under different renewable-only driving heat source scenarios (solar-driven, biomass-driven, and a hybrid approach). The results indicate a significantly advantageous performance in combined heat generation (solar field and biomass boiler connected in series) compared to the scenarios of biomass or solar energy as a sole heat source. Moreover, an absorption chiller’s economic indicators appear more fetching than a centrifugal electric chiller of the same capacity, as the payback period is significantly reduced. The Net Present Value (N.P.V. – over 75% greater in the case of absorption chiller compared to the centrifugal electrical chiller) and Return on Investment (R.O.I.) values are increased in the case of the absorption chiller option (18.03% against 15.24% of the centrifugal electrical chiller). The system described in this paper operates in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Greece, and is part of one of the largest self-sufficient energy communities. The case study presented is the first attempt at performance evaluation of a large-scale (more than 250 kWc) cooling system operating in a local energy community.