Small scale CHP systems offer the opportunity to further enhance the penetration level of solar electricity on the grid. These coupled projects look at the viability of this approach to create a massive distributed generation based electrical system, where individual homes provide their own power and heat.
Expanding Photovoltaic Penetration with Residential Distributed Generation from Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic + Combined Heat and Power Systems
- J. M. Pearce, “Expanding Photovoltaic Penetration with Residential Distributed Generation from Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic + Combined Heat and Power Systems”, Energy 34, pp. 1947-1954 (2009). Free Q -Share pre-print
Abstract
The recent development of small scale combined heat and power (CHP) systems has provided the opportunity for in house power backup of residential scale photovoltaic (PV) arrays. This paper investigates the potential of deploying a distributed network of PV+CHP hybrid systems in order increase the PV penetration level in the U.S. The temporal distribution of solar flux, electrical and heating requirements for representative U.S. single family residences were analyzed and the results clearly show that hybridizing CHP with PV can enable additional PV deployment above what is possible with a conventional centralized electric generation system. The technical evolution of such PV+CHP hybrid systems was developed from the present (near market) technology through four generations, which enable high utilization rates of both PV generated electricity and CHP generated heat. A method to determine the maximum percent of PV generated electricity on the grid without energy storage was derived and applied to an example area. The results show that a PV+CHP hybrid system not only has the potential to radically reduce energy waste in the status quo electrical and heating systems, but it also enables the share of solar PV to be expanded by about a factor of five.
Institutional-Scale Operational Symbiosis of Photovoltaic and Cogeneration Energy Systems
- M. Mostofi, A. H. Nosrat, and J. M. Pearce, “Institutional-Scale Operational Symbiosis of Photovoltaic and Cogeneration Energy Systems” International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology 8(1), pp. 31-44, 2011. Available: [http://www.ijest.org/?_action=articleInfo&article=473 [
Abstract
Due to the negative environmental effects of fossil fuel combustion there is a growing interest in both improved efficiency in energy management and a large-scale transition to renewable energy systems. Using both of these strategies, a large institutional-scale hybrid energy system is proposed here, which incorporates both solar photovoltaic (PV) energy conversion to supply renewable energy and cogeneration (cogen) to improve efficiency. In this case the PV reduces the run time for the cogen to meet load, particularly in peaking air conditioning times. In turn, however, the cogen system is used to provide power back up for the PV during the night and adverse weather conditions. To illustrate the operational symbiosis between these two technical systems, this paper provides a case study of a hybrid PV and cogeneration system for the Taleghani hospital in Tehran. Three design scenarios using only existing technologies for such a hybrid system are considered here: i) single cogen+PV, ii) double cogen+PV, iii) single cogen+PV+storage. Numerical simulations for PV and cogen performance both before and after incorporating improved thermal energy management and high efficiency lighting were considered. The results show that the total amount of natural gas required to provide for the hospitals needs could be lowered from the status quo by 55% for scenario 1 and 62% for both scenario 2 and 3, respectively. This significant improvement in natural gas consumption illustrates the potential of hybridizing solar photovoltaic systems and cogeneration systems on a large scale.
Technical Viability of PV+CHP Hybrid Systems
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