Heating In Residential Buildings Research Articles

PCM as an energy flexibility asset: How design and operation can be optimized for heating in residential buildings?

In cold climates, residential buildings are often well-insulated to reduce heating costs but may lead to overheating. Incorporating Phase Change Material (PCM) into building envelope can serve as an effective measure to mitigate overheating and reduce cooling costs. However, the inappropriate incorporation of PCM in well-insulated building envelope might negatively affect the heating energy flexibility. Therefore, this paper explores the effectiveness of PCM in reducing heating costs by optimizing the PCM design and heating operation. The main objectives are to (i) quantify the performance of PCM in terms of overheating and cost savings, aligned with the recently introduced Time-of-Use (ToU) tariff and Spot pricing, (ii) identify the optimal design of PCM-incorporated building envelope, and (iii) apply a smart control with resetting temperature setpoints in-line with EN-ISO 52,120 Standard. A multi-stage optimization process has been designed. It first identifies the optimal properties (i.e., melting temperature), position, and thickness of PCM. Secondly, it optimizes the profile of temperature setpoints, considering the seasonal thermal behavior of PCM. Co-simulation platform between IDA ICE 5.0 and Python 3.8 optimization engine is created for the heating control optimization. Results showed that PCM is more effective when incorporated into the interiors of external walls rather than in roofs. The optimal PCM design for Nordic buildings, featuring 75 mm-thick PCM with a melting temperature of 21 °C positioned within walls’ interior, has a varied impact on monthly energy savings across seasons, with a negative effect in spring and a significant positive effect in autumn. After the multi-stage optimization, the optimal scenario enables to achieve a maximum annual cost savings of 6.5 % with ToU tariff and 21.0 % with Spot pricing, while also eliminating overheating.

Configuration method for medium-deep ground source heat pump system considering renewable energy consumption and smart grid interaction

Medium-deep ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems have the advantages of low carbon, high heat exchange intensity, good thermal storage capacity, and intermittent operation characteristics, which are conducive to renewable energy consumption and grid demand response. The source-side parameters affect the configuration of underground borehole engineering, heat pump units, and other equipment. However, current research mainly focuses on the underground heat exchanger modeling, underground heat exchange, and system operation control, while there are few studies on multi-factor ground source-side parameter design and optimal configuration. In this study, the indicator analyzing the unsteady features and thermal balance state of medium-deep geothermal resources was introduced, and the source-side water temperatures were optimized based on the dynamic characteristics of the geothermal and building sides. A simulation configuration methodology for the source-side flow rate and storage capacity was developed considering the electricity prices, life-cycle cost (LCC), and grid interaction. The optimization of the ground source-side design temperature, flow rate, and capacity parameters of residential and office building heating scenarios were analyzed in northern China, respectively. The results showed that the borehole inlet and outlet temperature can be designed to 5.5 °C/17.5 °C under the annual sustainable state, and the optimal flowrate can be set to 65.77 m3/h, to achieve the lowest cost and highest heating season guarantee rate for the residential scenario. For the office building with optimal system and storage capacity, the average annual LCC is 192,000 yuan/year, with the cumulative peak shaving of 55.8 %, and an increase of 103.3MWh renewable electricity consumption.

Analyzing the Interactions among Barriers to the Use of Solar Energy for Heating in Residential Buildings in Van, Türkiye

In terms of environmental sustainability, the barriers—and interactions between these barriers—to the use of solar energy for active and passive heating in residential buildings stem from location-specific housing production patterns and the actors involved in these patterns. A clear definition of hierarchies and priorities between barriers helps managers set strategic priorities and action plans to find solutions. After the earthquake in Van in 2011, 6000 hectares of land were opened for new development, and research using the sampling method discovered that the most common type of housing production in the city is the build-to-sell housing production method. The actors involved in build-to-sell housing production are technical staff, local–central administrations, entrepreneurs, end users, landowners, financial companies, non-governmental organizations, and building inspection institutions. This article examines the barriers to the use of solar energy for active and passive heating purposes, the interactions between these barriers using ISM and MICMAC methods, and the build-to-sell housing production method and actors. Barriers were identified through a literature review and semi-structured interviews. The barriers were further categorized under eight main headings according to their subject matter. The hierarchies of barriers in creating problems and solutions were determined using ISM and MICMAC methods and the findings were interpreted. In the City of Van, with regard to the houses produced via the build-to-sell production method, the barriers against the use of solar energy for heating purposes in houses considering active and passive methods are ranked in order of priority in creating the problem and the solution. Barriers caused by political and administrative issues are ranked first; barriers caused by social awareness and end users are ranked second; barriers caused by social and sociological events are ranked third; barriers caused by laws and regulations are ranked fourth; barriers caused by the knowledge, skills, and awareness of designers are ranked fifth; barriers caused by deficiencies in technical issues are ranked sixth; and barriers caused by economic and financial issues are ranked seventh. Even though the barrier caused by the working mode of build-to-sell productions is the largest in creating the problem, it is the least effective barrier to solving the problem in the ISM hierarchical and MICMAC schemes. The research process is presented in the Methods section.

Enhancing economic and performance effectiveness of a geo-solar system using multi aspect artificial neural network

Geo-solar systems, comprising ground-source heat pumps (GSHP) and solar thermal collectors, offer promising solutions for sustainable space heating and hot water provision in residential buildings. However, optimizing these systems for maximum energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness remains a challenge. In this context, this study presents a comprehensive approach to enhancing the performance and cost-effectiveness of geo-solar systems. The proposed methodology integrates artificial neural network (ANN) techniques and multi-aspect optimization to optimize system parameters. The detailed of building mathematical model incorporating energy and exergy equations, thermodynamic, and economic relations for all system components. The neural network model inputs to the include five neurons represents Geothermal temperature, Solar radiation levels, System pressure levels, Ambient temperature, and Operational time, and the model outputs represent Energy efficiency and Exergy destruction rate. Through the training of ANN using simulation data and the application of a multi-objective genetic algorithm, the system is optimized for energy efficiency, cost, and environmental impact simultaneously. The results of analysis show that the exergy efficiency of system is 22.02 % and turbine generates 1963 kW. Changes in P10, ranging from 2000 to 3400 kPa leads to the exergy destruction reduction from 8350 kW to 8000 kW, while the other parameters exhibit an increasing trend.

Monitoring of fresh water consumption and energy needs for hot tap water heating in residential buildings

The study addresses discrepancies between design and measured values in building energy systems, focusing on water heating inside buildings in Central and Eastern Europe. Using data measured by the authors from 2010 to 2019 in Czech cities, a novel empirical calculation relationship for water flow estimation in apartment buildings is introduced, which is different from the outdated 1940 equation. The proposed calculation is refined and validated based on the measured values, allowing for accurate specification of daily and hourly water demands. The innovative approach is expected to result in tangible savings and a 10–20 % reduction in energy consumption for hot water heating, emphasising its significance for sustainable energy supply to buildings.

Demand response for residential building heating: Effective Monte Carlo Tree Search control based on physics-informed neural networks

To reduce global carbon emissions and limit climate change, controlling energy consumption in buildings is an important piece of the puzzle. Here, we specifically focus on using a demand response (DR) algorithm to limit the energy consumption of a residential building's heating system while respecting user's thermal comfort. In that domain, Reinforcement learning (RL) methods have been shown to be quite effective. One such RL method is Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS), which has achieved impressive success in playing board games (go, chess). A particular advantage of MCTS is that its decision tree structure naturally allows to integrate exogenous constraints (e.g., by trimming branches that violate them), while conventional RL solutions need more elaborate techniques (e.g., indirectly by adding penalties in the cost/reward function, or through a backup controller that corrects constraint-violating actions). The main aim of this paper is to study the adoption of MCTS for building control, since this (to the best of our knowledge) has remained largely unexplored. A specific property of MCTS is that it needs a simulator component that can predict subsequent system states, based on actions taken. A straightforward data-driven solution is to use black-box neural networks (NNs). We will however extend a Physics-informed Neural Network (PiNN) model to deliver multi-timestep predictions, and show the benefit it offers in terms of lower prediction errors (−32% MAE) as well as better MCTS performance (−4% energy cost, +7% thermal comfort) compared to a black-box NN. A second contribution will be to extend a vanilla MCTS version to adopt the ideas applied in AlphaZero (i.e., using learned prior and value functions and an action selection heuristic) to obtain lower computational costs while maintaining control performance.

Thermal performance of an active casing pipe macro-encapsulated PCM wall for space cooling and heating of residential building in hot summer and cold winter region in China

Phase change material (PCM) wall is expected to match the building type and its climate region effectively. In order to meet the space cooling and heating of residential buildings in hot summer and cold winter regions in China, a new active casing pipe macro-encapsulated PCM wall is proposed, in which the cold storage and heat storage PCMs are sealed between the inner pipe and outer pipe with no leakage. To obtain the optimal structure parameters and better thermal performance of the PCM wall, the mathematical model of the PCM wall is established and validated by experiment, and the effects of PCM filling pattern, structural parameter of casing pipe, water temperature in inner pipe and indoor setting temperature are simulated and analyzed. The results show that the optimal PCM filling pattern is to fill the cold storage PCM and heat storage PCM in the gap between the inner pipe and outer pipe separately; the optimal PCM filling thickness is 13 mm; the optimal structural parameters are inner pipe diameter of 20 mm and casing pipe centre spacing of 61 mm. The water temperature in the inner pipe and PCM energy storage/release time reasonably match the indoor setting temperature. Under the optimal operating conditions, the average PCM wall surface temperatures of 20.5 and 26.8 ℃ and the PCM wall surface heat fluxes of 45.9 and 57.2 W/m2 can be obtained in summer and winter conditions, respectively. The research provides an optimized casing pipe macro-encapsulated PCM wall system that can reliably and efficiently meet both the space heating and cooling demands of residential buildings in hot summer and cold winter regions in China.

Thermodynamic and economic analyses of modified ejector enhanced solar-air composite dual-source heat pump system in residential buildings

This research utilizes an ejector enhanced solar-air composite dual-source heat pump (EDHP) system for water heating in residential buildings. The main advantage of the EDHP system is the use of an ejector and dual-heat source to efficiently utilize solar energy, thereby enhancing heating performance. This ejector operates by utilizing a refrigerant stream from the solar collector line with higher pressure to elevate the suction pressure of the compressor. This feature enables the EDHP system to maintain stable heating performance even in adverse weather scenarios with low temperatures or limited solar radiation. Thermodynamic modeling using energetic and exergetic analysis methods is employed to theoretically evaluate the conventional air-source heat pump and EDHP systems. The energy analysis of the EDHP system using R134a refrigerant has shown significant improvements in both heating coefficient of performance (COP) and exergy performance (ECOP). Under specific conditions, such as an ambient temperature of −5 °C and an irradiance level of 250 W∙m2, and utilizing a 20 m2 PVT (Photovoltaic and Thermal) collector for a heating supply of 5 kW, the EDHP system exhibits a 23.64 % increase in COP and a 25.83 % increase in ECOP. Furthermore, when the electricity generated by the PV system is incorporated into the EDHP system, the demand for electricity from the grid can be reduced by up to 51.96 % under the same conditions. In the Beijing area and considering the current energy price system, the heating operating cost of the EDHP system is 0.206 Yuan/kWh. Compared to a standard air-source heat pump system, the payback period for EDHP system ranges approximately from 10 to 12 years, taking into account an annual heating period of 5 months. Among the alternative refrigerants to R134a in the EDHP system, R152a is found to be the most suitable. It shows COP improvements of 24.92 %–30.0 % and ECOP improvements of 24.89 %–29.96 %. This innovative approach opens up new possibilities for the application of heat pump technology under adverse weather conditions in residential and commercial buildings.

In Situ Performance Analysis of Hybrid Fuel Heating System in a Net-Zero Ready House

The global population’s growth and increased energy consumption have driven greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In Canada, the residential sector accounts for 17% of secondary energy use and 13% of GHG emissions. To mitigate GHG emissions, promoting renewable energy and efficient heating systems is crucial, especially in cold climates like Canada, where there is a heavy dependency on fossil fuels for space heating applications. A viable solution is hybrid fuel heating systems that combine electric-driven air-source heat pumps (ASHPs) with natural gas tankless water heaters (TWHs). This system can alternate its operation between the ASHP and TWH based on efficiency and real-time energy costs, reducing grid peak demand and enhancing resilience during power outages. Although lab experiments have shown its benefits, in situ performance lacks evaluation. This study analyzes the in situ energy performance of a net-zero ready house and its hybrid fuel heating system, assessing energy consumption, hourly space heating output, and system heating performance. HOT2000 is a robust simulation software designed for assessing energy consumption, space heating, cooling, and domestic hot water systems in residential buildings. An artificial neural network model was developed to predict the energy performance of the hybrid fuel system, which was used as a substitute for monitored data for evaluating the HOT2000’s simulation results under the same weather conditions. Therefore, this study proposes a comprehensive framework for the in situ performance analysis of hybrid fuel heating systems. This study then, using HOT2000 energy consumption results, evaluates the life cycle costs of the hybrid fuel system against conventional heating systems. Furthermore, this study proposes an economical control strategy using in situ data or manufacturer specifications.

An evaluation of a solar-powered heating and hot water system for residential buildings using T*Sol

An evaluation of a solar-powered heating and hot water system for residential buildings using T*Sol

A comprehensive comparison study on household solar-assisted heating system performance in the hot summer and cold winter zone in China

Distributed solar heating systems have high energy-saving potential as clean and energy-efficient production units in residential building applications. Solar energy resources are weak in hot summer and cold winter zone in China, which makes it difficult to completely rely on solar energy to heat residential buildings. A critical challenge is the lack of a theoretical basis for how to choose the solar-assisted heating system form. In this paper, seven solar-assisted heating systems are modeled and their performances are evaluated in six cities by using TRNSYS software. In terms of performance indicators, the solar fraction, the season performance factor, and the heat efficiency are used to thoroughly discuss the viability of using solar heating technologies in this zone. Based on the results, the average indoor air temperature was maintained between 16 °C and 20 °C, and the lowest solar fraction obtained was 10.1%. The carbon emission reduction in each city ranged from 60 kg to 400 kg, yielding good environmental benefits. According to the comprehensive comparison of the six evaluation indexes considered, the parallel or dual-source solar-assisted air source heat pump system can be used in a zone with medium solar energy resources. It is more suitable to use a dual-source solar-assisted air-source heat pump system in a zone with poor solar energy resources. The findings of this work can guide and promote the widespread application of distributed solar heating in household residential buildings in the hot summer and cold winter zone in China.

Decarbonising building heating and cooling: Designing a novel, inter-seasonal latent heat storage system

The global heating and cooling demands have increased to mitigate the effects of the rise in extreme weather events due to climate change. This has led to an increase in global greenhouse gas emissions due to the use of fossil fuels to meet these demands. The current study evaluates how an alternative low-carbon heating and cooling system may provide thermal comfort in residential buildings, specifically in regions that have a humid temperature oceanic climate-for example, the United Kingdom. To meet the net-zero emissions targets set in the United Kingdom by 2050, greenhouse gas emissions generated from heating in residential buildings must fall by 95 %. The leading decarbonisation strategy proposed by their government requires the electrification of the heating system through the installation of heat pumps. Consequently, the average electricity consumption per household is expected to increase. This will impose considerable pressure on electricity networks to source additional (ideally renewable) capacity, which will ultimately be costly. To circumvent this issue, the current study proposes a novel alternative method of providing nearly zero-carbon space and water heating, that can operate almost independently of the electricity grid. This requires the use of solar energy as the thermal energy source, and a solid-liquid phase change material as an inter-seasonal energy storage medium. A design optimisation study was thereafter carried forward to showcase the capability of such a system for a semi-detached house in London, United Kingdom.

TLUD hot air generator with forced draft

Energy consumption for heating and hot water in commercial and residential buildings holds a leading place in the top of the major consumer in Europe, but also in the top of the responsible for greenhouse gas emissions resulting in the atmosphere. The application of a gasification combustion technology with carbon storage in the biochar, based on the TLUD principle on environmentally friendly residential heating equipment can replace other heating systems with less environmentally friendly and less energy efficient minced biomass. The TLUD principle is recognized as the most environmentally friendly combustion process that extracts from biomass, by gasification, all volatiles (producer gas) and unconverted carbon (biochar) remains, which can be used to improve the quality of degraded soils, responding to the requirements of environmental strategies for storing carbon in the soil and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to achieve sustainable development. The article presents a hot air generator solution based on the TLUD principle and laboratory testing of the forced draft subassembly with which low speeds of the producer gas generated in the reactor (below 0.06 m/s) were obtained in order to reduce the free ash drive under the current rules imposed for solid fuel thermal generators.

ЭКСПЕРИМЕНТАЛЬНОЕ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ ТЕПЛОТЕХНИЧЕСКИХ ПАРАМЕТРОВ КОЖУХОТРУБНОГО ТЕПЛООМЕННОГО АППАРАТА СО СПИРАЛЬНЫМ ЗМЕЕВИКОВОМ

In the Russian Federation, housing and communal services are one of the sectors of the national economy. To provide consumers with heat and maintain a given temperature in conditions of constant heating and hot water supply of residential and public buildings, it is necessary to use heat exchangers. When solving engineering problems aimed at improving the design features of heat exchangers, it is necessary first of all to conduct a study of the thermal characteristics of the equipment used. This will allow you to identify equipment shortcomings and offer original lighting or recommendations for improving some elements. This is especially important when developing heat exchangers used in the housing and communal services of the fuel and energy complex of the Russian Federation. In this work, the thermal characteristics of a condenser heat exchanger with a spiral coil, controlled temperature parameters at the outlet of the heating and heated circuits were studied, the heat transfer coefficient K, [W/(m2×°C)], was calculated at various operating temperature conditions, and an algorithm for carrying out a natural experiment in a laboratory setup with a step-by-step description of the actions performed. The conclusions analyzed the results of experimental work on the apparatus, and also formulated proposals for the creation of a locally produced heat exchanger

Analysis of the impact of demand response on the Norwegian energy system

AbstractEuropean CO2 reduction goals have led to an increase in variable energy sources such as wind and solar, and consequently to an energy system that will need more flexibility in the future. In Norway, the hydropower reservoirs will enable the country to play a crucial role in European electrification by delivering flexibility to countries in Northern Europe. A further source of flexibility is demand response (DR) accumulated in residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. The paper discusses DR, load shifting, and load shedding based on the application of a stochastic TIMES model and it evaluates the role of DR in the Norwegian energy system towards 2050. The analysis shows that cost-efficient DR operation primarily comes from space heating in residential buildings. The use of DR, which is season-dependent, increases the volume of electricity trade, including electricity export and import to neighboring countries, and it smooths electricity prices. The implementation of DR in Norway leads to decreases in expected electricity price and total system cost by exporting flexible electricity and importing low price electricity. Additionally, it affects hydropower and reservoir management.

A solar based system for integrated production of power, heat, hot water and cooling

Renewable energy sources have gained great importance in meeting the increasing energy demands in today's world and reducing the environmental impacts, such as greenhouse gas emissions, particularly caused by traditional fossil fuel sources. In this study, a unique integrated energy system driven by solar power is proposed. In order to achieve poly-generation, a concentrated solar power tower system is integrated with a Rankine cycle, an organic Rankine cycle, an absorption cooling system, greenhouses, and a water heating system. The proposed system is designed to generate power, hot water, cooling, and heating for residential buildings and greenhouses. The system analysis is performed in terms of thermodynamics using energy and exergy principles, and then both energy and exergy efficiencies are used to assess the system's overall performance. Through parametric studies, the effects of changing various operating parameters and conditions on performance are examined. The energy and the exergy efficiencies for the overall system are found to be 22.64% and 21.8%, respectively.

Techno-economic analysis of residential building heating strategies for cost-effective upgrades in European cities

The energy crisis in Europe requires cost-effective evaluations of residential heating strategies to reduce costs and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. This research studied different heating systems in China and Europe. Based on heating energy surveys, simulation models were developed and further expanded for European cities. Monte Carlo analyses were conducted to understand the heating demand and utility costs in Rome, Madrid, and Athens. The sensitivity analysis found that electrifying heating systems with heat pumps can reduce household heating costs and mitigate European cities' dependence on natural gas. However, the high upfront investment may hinder the cost-effective deployment of high-performance heat pump systems. Building envelope retrofits can also provide plausible energy savings despite relatively long payback periods. Financial incentive analyses were conducted to quantify how fiscal measures can improve technologies' techno-economic performance. Finally, the paper provided policy recommendations on future building cost-effective retrofits and heating electrification in Europe.

Impacts of UHI on Heating and Cooling Loads in Residential Buildings in Cities of Different Sizes in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region in China

The heating and cooling energy consumption levels of urban buildings account for a large and rapidly growing proportion of the total end-use energy consumption of society. The urban heat island (UHI) effect is an important factor influencing the spatiotemporal variations in the heating and cooling energy consumption levels of buildings. However, there is a lack of research on the impact of the UHI on the heating and cooling energy consumption of buildings in cities of different sizes in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration, which is the most urbanized region in northern China. We selected rural reference stations using the remote sensing method, and applied an hourly data set from automatic weather stations, to examine the impact of the UHI on the typical residential building heating and cooling loads in three cities of varied sizes in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration through building energy simulation. The main conclusions were as follows. As the UHI intensity (UHII) increased, the heating load difference between urban and rural areas decreased, while the cooling load difference between urban and rural areas increased in the cities. The average daily heating loads in the urban areas of Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang were 8.14, 10.71, and 2.79% lower than those in their rural areas, respectively, while the average daily cooling loads in the urban areas were 6.88, 6.70, and 0.27% higher than those in their rural areas, respectively. Moreover, the absolute hourly load differences between urban and rural areas were significantly larger during the heating periods than during the cooling periods, with the former characterized by being strong at night and weak during the day. During the peak energy load period, the contribution of the UHI to the peak load of residential buildings varied between the cities. During the stable high-load period, from 18:00 to 07:00 the next day in the heating periods (from 18:00 to 05:00 the next day in the cooling periods), the hourly loads in the urban areas of Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang were 3.15 (2.48), 3.88 (1.51), and 1.07% (1.09%) lower (higher) than those in their rural areas, respectively. Our analysis highlights the necessity to differentiate the energy supplies for the heating and cooling of urban buildings in different sized cities in the region.

Clustering and prediction of space cooling and heating energy consumption in high-rise residential buildings with the influence of occupant behaviour: Evidence from a survey in Changsha, China

Residential building space cooling and heating energy consumption account for approximately 15% of the total social energy consumption. Occupant behaviour is the primary factor influencing energy consumption for cooling and heating in residential buildings. This study used extensive face-to-face questionnaire surveys and actual measurements for typical households to study the cooling and heating energy consumption of high-rise residential buildings in Changsha. Statistical analysis was conducted on the influencing factors of participant information, architecture, occupant behaviour, and energy conservation awareness in the questionnaire survey. The household energy bills for cooling and heating were clustered, and PCA models were proposed between the influencing factors and the energy consumption, and were verified by measured data of typical households. The results demonstrated that the household energy bills could be divided into five categories. The PCA models show the mode of ventilation during the cooling period and the mode of air conditioner (AC) turning on/off during the heating period are the most important component, accounting for 46.7% and 35.9%, respectively. The statistical parameters provided a reference for the energy consumption simulation software, and the PCA models achieved energy consumption prediction through data of principal components, which are significant for building energy efficiency and carbon reduction.

A mixed integer linear programming-based simple method for optimizing the design and operation of space heating and domestic hot water hybrid systems in residential buildings

The hybridization of energy systems is based on the combined integration of both renewable and non-renewable technologies and thermal energy storage. These hybrid installations improve cost effectiveness and energy efficiency when they are correctly designed and the operation strategy is suitable. Despite the relevance of achieving the optimal configuration, sizing and control strategy of hybrid thermal systems, there is no simple and generic methodology which allows this type of installations to be optimized in the project phase. In response to this issue, in this work, a mixed integer linear programming-based simple model is carried out with the aim of obtaining the optimal design, sizing and operation of thermal energy systems in residential buildings. To do so, a superstructure is defined that includes the main technologies commercialized for thermal energy systems in buildings. Technical, economic, environmental and legal constraints are determined in the proposed generic model. In order to validate the method, it is applied to a central space heating and domestic hot water installation of a residential building located in a cold climate in Spain. Optimal solutions are obtained considering three different perspectives —economic, environmental and multicriteria— and are compared to the current installation. According to the results, the overall cost of the economic optimal configuration is reduced by 15%, whereas the greenhouse gas emissions decrease by 56% in the environmental optimal solution. It is thus demonstrated that the proposed generic and simple model is a useful tool for determining the optimal hybridization of the plant and for analysing the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of these systems in the project phase.