A methodology to estimate baseline energy use and quantify savings in electrical energy consumption in higher education institution buildings: Case study, Federal University of Itajubá (UNIFEI)

Accurately forecasting energy consumption in a building is an important strategy for achieving the goal of reducing energy demand and improving energy efficiency. University campuses represent specific groups of diverse buildings with significant energy consumption. Therefore, they provide an excellent testbed to characterize and understand the energy consumption of a group of mixed-use buildings. This paper presents a novel methodology that considers the recommendations of ISO 50001: 2011 and ISO 50006: 2014 for establishing energy baselines and energy performance indicators in higher education institution buildings to identify electrical energy consumption reduction potentials in buildings and establish energy management strategies related to electricity use. The study was implemented in three buildings at the Federal University of Itajubá (José Rodrigues Seabra Campus). Several methods and indicators were evaluated to monitor and measure energy performance in buildings. A wide range of factors that influence operating system energy consumption in the buildings were studied and taken into account, such as the types of activities carried out in the building, weather conditions, building materials, air conditioning system and occupancy, since these contribute directly and indirectly to the difficulty of accurately measuring the building’s energy consumption. The results showed that potential annual savings in electric energy consumption for the campus could be around 9.6%, which translates into a R$ 93,647.2 economic value and a 20.3 tCO2eq emissions reduction without economic investment. It was concluded that the methodology proposed for establishing and monitoring an energy efficiency indicator can be applied to any institute of higher education because it is flexible and adaptable since each institute can define the period of analysis for the indicator. This research is expected to provide theoretical guidance and a practical data reference for relevant evaluations of building energy efficiency

Energy, economic, and environmental assessment of the integrated production of palm oil biodiesel and sugarcane ethanol

The key objective of this study was to evaluate and compare, within the concept of integrated biorefining, the potential environmental gains of the life cycle, economic feasibility and energy balance of the production of bioenergetics from palm and sugarcane. In this context, the research model developed in this work involved several assessment techniques; in terms of environmental assessment, the tool used was the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) from the Well-To-Tank perspective, which is based on the LCA “cradle-to-gate” assignment method. The environmental assessment was performed using SimaPro v.8.0.3 software and the impacts were quantified using the IMPACT 2002+ method. On the other hand, energy performance evaluation was based on the 1st law indicators. Likewise, economic feasibility was based on the evaluation of the fixed capital investment index and the estimate of investment costs for the entire integrated system. Two different scenarios were proposed in order to compare and evaluate traditional systems with the integrated biorefinery. The first conversion scenario (baseline scenario) consisted of a traditional palm oil extraction plant in addition to an ethanol and sugar plant, concerning the use of fossil fuels in all stages of production. The second conversion scenario (improved scenario) explored the substitution of fossil energy sources as well as the energy recovery of residual biomass in more efficient energy conversion systems. The results indicated significant reductions of 29.5% and 29.1% in the global warming impact category when the baseline scenario was compared to the improved scenario. Additionally, the improved scenario achieved a reduction of 2.1 g CO2eq MJ−1 (ethanol) and 2.61 g CO2eq MJ−1 (biodiesel). On the other hand, the improved scenario presented better energy rates since it showed an increase of 3.82% in the global efficiency of the system and produced 106.32 kWh more per ton of processed raw material. Finally, when considering the Life Cycle Energy Efficiency, an increase of 83% was observed and in the case of the Renewability Factor showed an increase of 7.12 energy units. Integration is also economically feasible; however, it could be significantly improved through fiscal incentives founded on the reduction of fossil energy use, enhanced conversion yielding, and improvements in conversion technologies

Modelo de Gestão Energética para a Diminuição do Consumo Energético e Impactos Ambientais de Instituições de Educação Superior “IES”: Estudo de Caso Universidade Federal de Itajubá.

Estatísticas da energia podem levar a diferentes projeções, indicações e estimativas de crescimento da demanda global de energia primária. Mas todas estiveram de acordo com o fato de que o aumento da demanda de energia é inevitável. Além disso, a energia é sem nenhuma dúvida uma questão de máxima importância, já que os consumos da energia estão em aumento, se apresentam dificuldades crescentes para atender à demanda, isto além do elevado custo das alternativas de suprimento, o impacto que tem as novas construções e as necessidades das universidades de inserirem-se em um mundo globalizado, requer uso otimizado dos recursos energéticos. Devido a isto, a eficiência energética (E.E) se mostra como a alternativa mais importante a curto e médio prazo para responder a estes desafios e contribuir decisivamente à otimização do uso de uma energia escassa e cara. Só através da E.E pode-se diminuir o consumo mantendo os mesmos serviços e prestações, sem que por ele se veja afetada nossa qualidade de vida. Muitas instituições de educação superior apresentam dificuldades em conceber um Sistema de Gestão Energética (SGEn) como uma prática gerencial com caráter decisivo para as diretrizes do planejamento estratégico. Assim, tendo em vista que o campus da Universidade Federal de Itajubá (UNIFEI) possui uma área construída de grandes proporções, este trabalho tem como objetivo principal desenvolver um modelo de gestão energética que incorpore os conceitos contidos na norma ISO 50001

Avaliação termodinâmica e ambiental de complexos integrados de biorrefinarias que utilizam cana e palma.

The present work aimed to perform a thermodynamic and environmental evaluation of integrated biorefinery complexes using sugarcane and african palm (Elaeis guineensis) for brazilian conditions. To this end, four case studies were proposed, located in the North or Northeast regions, since in these regions there are more than 31 million hectares of degraded lands that have favorable edaphoclimatic characteristics for the cultivation of cane and palm crops. The base case (C-I) was conceived with the intention of being a reference for the other studies, in which there is no type of integration (industrial or agricultural) and is composed of (i) a sugar and alcohol plant, (ii) a palm oil extraction plant, (iii) a palm oil refining and transesterification plant, and (iv) a cogeneration system, in the subsequent case studies there is an agricultural and industrial integration, and in case II a 2G ethanol plant is incorporated, while in case III a 2G methanol plant was incorporated and case IV is an extension of case III where advanced cogeneration concepts were applied, specifically the BIG/GT technology (Biomass Integrated Gasifier-Gas Turbine). For the evaluation of the studies from the thermodynamic and environmental point of view, the LCA and performance indicators based on the 1st and 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. The results obtained from the thermodynamic evaluation show the advantage of obtaining a larger energy portfolio from several raw materials (sugar cane and palm), and C-IV stands out from the others, since it has a superior performance in the ηGlo (53.4%), Iexced (86.6 kWh/tMP), σMP (257 GJ/ha-year) e ηexe (62.7%), by integrating the technology of gasification and gas turbine (BIG/GT), verifying the attractiveness that it is for agroindustries. While the results obtained in the LCA showed the potential environmental benefits that brings the total replacement of fossil diesel by biodiesel (whether ethyl or methyl), both in cane and palm cultivation, making it possible to reduce the consumption of fossil energy by 74.7% (cane) and 64.8% (palm) by the ethanol route or 79.6% (cane) and 69.2% (palm) by the methyl route. Consequently, one could achieve an increase in NER up to 9 units and a renewability (LCEE) of up to 18.4% of cane bioethanol could be achieved.Agência 1O presente trabalho objetivou realizar uma avalição Termodinâmica e Ambiental de complexos integrados de biorrefinarias que utilizam cana-de-açúcar e palma africana (Elaeis guineensis) para as condições brasileiras. Para tal, foram propostos quatro estudos de casos, localizado nas regiões Norte ou Nordeste, visto que nestas regiões existem mais de 31 milhões de hectares de terras degradadas que possuem as caraterísticas edafoclimáticas favoráveis para o cultivo das culturas de cana e palma. O caso base (C-I) foi concebido com o intuito de ser uma referência para os demais estudos, em este não existe nenhum tipo de integração (industrial ou agrícola) e encontra-se composto por (i) uma usina de açúcar e álcool, (ii) uma planta de extração de óleo de palma, (iii) uma planta de refinação e transesterificação de óleo palma e (iv) um sistema de cogeração, já nos estudos de casos subsequentes existe uma integração agrícola e industrial, sendo que no caso II é incorporada uma planta de etanol 2G, enquanto que no caso III foi incorporado uma planta de metanol 2G e o caso IV é uma extensão do caso III, donde foram aplicados conceitos avançados de cogeração, especificamente a tecnologia BIG/GT (Biomass Integrated Gasifier-Gas Turbine). Para a avaliação dos estudos sob o ponto de vista termodinâmico e ambiental, foi utilizada a ACV e indicadores de desempenho baseados na 1a e 2a Lei da Termodinâmica. Os resultados obtidos da avaliação termodinâmica expõem a vantagem de obter um maior portfolio energético a partir de diversas matérias primas (cana-de-açúcar e palma), sendo que C-IV destaca-se perante os outros, já que tem um desempenho superior na ηGlo (53,4%), Iexced (86,6 kWh/tMP), σMP (257 GJ/ha-ano) e ηexe (62,7%), pelo fato de integrar a tecnologia de gaseificação e turbina a gás (BIG/GT), verificando o atrativo que é para as agroindústrias. Enquanto que os resultados obtidos na ACV mostraram os potenciais benefícios ambientais que traz a substituição total do diesel fóssil pelo biodiesel (seja etílico ou metílico), tanto na cultura de cana como na de palma, possibilitando a redução do consumo de energia fóssil em 74,7% (cana) e 64,8% (palma) pela rota etílica ou 79,6% (cana) e 69,2% (palma) pela rota metílica. Consequentemente, se poderia atingir um aumento na Relação energética liquida (NER) de até 9 unidades e uma Eficiência energética do ciclo de vida (LCEE) de até 18,4% do bioetanol de can