{"title":"Integration of photovoltaic panels and biomass-fuelled CHP in an Italian renewable energy community","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.ecmx.2024.100696","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study presents the first attempt to explore the technical and financial feasibility of combining incentives for Italian Renewable Energy Communities (REC) with those for high-efficiency cogeneration. The community has local wooden biomass availability and was assembled around two prosumers: an industrial laundry with biomass-fuelled CHP and a school with photovoltaic panels. Other members include residential users. Electric loads were derived from available quarter-hour meters and electric bills. Thermal demand for the laundry was reconstructed from an energy audit. First, the CHP optimal mode of operation was selected among the two suggested by the manufacturer (matching the electric or the thermal load), providing energy, financial and environmental performance in both scenarios. Then the photovoltaic system of the school was sized. Finally, an optimal number of users was selected using a genetic algorithm, with financial performance of the REC as objective functions. Energy, economic and environmental impact performance of prosumers and REC are discussed, finding that the optimal configuration reduces CO<sub>2</sub> emissions by 722 tons/year, with further 1360 tons/year coming from biomass combustion. In an optimal REC configuration members cut 250 €/year of electric bills, with an overall performance of 21 % in valorization of shared energy, while a social-focused REC can increase its NPV from 233 to 769 k€. The scenario can be applied to other prosumers with similar thermal demand and can be replicated or adjusted to local requirements.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37131,"journal":{"name":"Energy Conversion and Management-X","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":7.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590174524001740/pdfft?md5=eea00a79cb6e21d633f2e2e579953642&pid=1-s2.0-S2590174524001740-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Energy Conversion and Management-X","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590174524001740","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENERGY & FUELS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study presents the first attempt to explore the technical and financial feasibility of combining incentives for Italian Renewable Energy Communities (REC) with those for high-efficiency cogeneration. The community has local wooden biomass availability and was assembled around two prosumers: an industrial laundry with biomass-fuelled CHP and a school with photovoltaic panels. Other members include residential users. Electric loads were derived from available quarter-hour meters and electric bills. Thermal demand for the laundry was reconstructed from an energy audit. First, the CHP optimal mode of operation was selected among the two suggested by the manufacturer (matching the electric or the thermal load), providing energy, financial and environmental performance in both scenarios. Then the photovoltaic system of the school was sized. Finally, an optimal number of users was selected using a genetic algorithm, with financial performance of the REC as objective functions. Energy, economic and environmental impact performance of prosumers and REC are discussed, finding that the optimal configuration reduces CO2 emissions by 722 tons/year, with further 1360 tons/year coming from biomass combustion. In an optimal REC configuration members cut 250 €/year of electric bills, with an overall performance of 21 % in valorization of shared energy, while a social-focused REC can increase its NPV from 233 to 769 k€. The scenario can be applied to other prosumers with similar thermal demand and can be replicated or adjusted to local requirements.
期刊介绍:
Energy Conversion and Management: X is the open access extension of the reputable journal Energy Conversion and Management, serving as a platform for interdisciplinary research on a wide array of critical energy subjects. The journal is dedicated to publishing original contributions and in-depth technical review articles that present groundbreaking research on topics spanning energy generation, utilization, conversion, storage, transmission, conservation, management, and sustainability.
The scope of Energy Conversion and Management: X encompasses various forms of energy, including mechanical, thermal, nuclear, chemical, electromagnetic, magnetic, and electric energy. It addresses all known energy resources, highlighting both conventional sources like fossil fuels and nuclear power, as well as renewable resources such as solar, biomass, hydro, wind, geothermal, and ocean energy.