Modelling and Selection of Micro-CHP Systems for Domestic Energy Supply: the Dimension of Network-wide Primary Energy Consumption

Mathematical modelling and optimization of the Distributed Energy Supply System (DESS) using natural gas, both at the building level and the overall energy supply network level was carried out for various types of micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP) – solid oxide fuel cells, Stirling engines, internal combustion engines – and for two different operating strategies – cost-driven and primary energy-driven. The modelling framework captures the overall impact of the adoption of micro-CHP systems on the total primary energy usage in both generation and distribution. A detailed case study on the UK domestic energy supply was undertaken by applying both operating strategies to four different sizes of houses. The best technology selected in each case was evaluated in terms of the economics, total primary energy consumption, and reduction of central power generation requirement. It was shown that the primary energy consumption driven option selected technologies which could potentially achieve 6%-10% reduction of total primary energy use compared to the base case where micro-CHP was not adopted, which represents about 50% more reduction than the outcome of the cost-driven strategy

Modelling and Selection of Micro-CHP Systems for Domestic Energy Supply: the Dimension of Network-wide Primary Energy Consumption

Mathematical modelling and optimization of the Distributed Energy Supply System (DESS) using natural gas, both at the building level and the overall energy supply network level was carried out for various types of micro combined heat and power (micro-CHP) – solid oxide fuel cells, Stirling engines, internal combustion engines – and for two different operating strategies – cost-driven and primary energy-driven. The modelling framework captures the overall impact of the adoption of micro-CHP systems on the total primary energy usage in both generation and distribution. A detailed case study on the UK domestic energy supply was undertaken by applying both operating strategies to four different sizes of houses. The best technology selected in each case was evaluated in terms of the economics, total primary energy consumption, and reduction of central power generation requirement. It was shown that the primary energy consumption driven option selected technologies which could potentially achieve 6%-10% reduction of total primary energy use compared to the base case where micro-CHP was not adopted, which represents about 50% more reduction than the outcome of the cost-driven strategy

Fuel cells as combined heat and power systems in commercial buildings: A case study in the food-retail sector

This work investigates the viability of fuel cells (FC) as combined heat and power (CHP) prime movers in commercial buildings with a specific focus on supermarkets. Up-to-date technical data from a FC manufacturing company was obtained and applied to evaluate their viability in an existing food-retail building. A detailed optimisation model for enhancing distributed energy system management described in previous work is expanded upon to optimise the techno-economic performance of FC-CHP systems. The optimisations employ comprehensive techno-economic datasets that reflect current market trends. Outputs highlight the key factors influencing the economics of FC-CHP projects. Furthermore, a comparative analysis against a competing internal combustion engine (ICE) CHP system is performed to understand the relative techno-economic characterisitcs of each system. Results indicate that FCs are becoming financially competitive although ICEs are still a more attractive option. For supermarkets, the payback period for installing a FC system is 4.7–5.9 years vs. 4.0–5.6 years for ICEs when policies are considered. If incentives are removed, FC-CHP systems have paybacks in the range 6–10 years vs. 5–8.5 years for ICE-based systems. A sensitivity analysis under different market and policy scenarios is performed, offering insights into the performance gap fuel cells face before becoming more competitive