169,806 research outputs found
Distributed generation and trigeneration: energy saving opportunities in Italian supermarket sector
No full textThis paper presents an analysis of the potential for introducing distributed generation systems in the
supermarket sector in the light of Italian legislation (inasmuch as concerns tax incentives and regulations)
with a view to arriving at some generally applicable criteria. The energy users in question are
characterized by a strong demand for energy for refrigeration for food preservation and for ambient
air-conditioning during the summer.
This makes supermarkets particularly suitable for trigeneration applications with the prime mover
coupled with absorption systems. This study analyses the feasibility of implementing trigeneration systems
for the combined production of electricity and ambient heating and air-conditioning energy or,
alternatively, for the combined generation of electrical energy and refrigeration for the preservation of
food. Finally, the hypothesis of combining trigeneration systems with photovoltaic systems aimed at
maximizing the energy saving achievable was also considered. This paper analyses the various technologies
from a technical, economic and environmental standpoint, enabling advantages and disadvantages
to be identified in relation to a real case
Demand side management of the built environment for sustainable energy
No full textThe current electricity market, characterized by increasing energy demand and growing penetration of renewable energies, presents a number of challenges to grid operators and is moving toward the Smart Grid infrastructure which includes the Demand Side Management (DSM) concept. Due to the energy consumption involved, an interesting and promising field of application of DSM is the management of the electrically driven thermal systems in buildings. This study focuses on energy demand in buildings for heating and cooling produced by heat pumps (HP), that will hopefully have an increasing penetration in the field of room air-conditioning, given the potential improvement in energy efficiency achievable. Moreover heat pumps are seen as a promising technology for load management in the built environment, also coupled with Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems to shift electrical loads on the basis of grid request. Main purpose of this paper is to analyze the DSM potential of heating and cooling loads in residential buildings while using heat pumps. Different building characteristics, plant configurations and DSM strategies will be considered
Energy and economic analysis of small-scale distributed generation in the residential sector
No full textProgettazione e gestione degli impianti di cogenerazione nel libero mercato dell'energia
No full textThe impact of renewable energy systems on local sustainability
No full textThe purpose of the paper is to discuss and assess the impact of renewable energy, RE, generation on sustainable communities, with a specific focus on employment impact. In recent years, local authorities have been involved in the energy planning process due to the site-specific nature of renewable production and thanks to their nearer connection to citizens. Four small and medium-size sustainable communities belonging to Marche region, in central Italy, have been analysed. The work forecasts the employment generated by the RE capacity defined by two different energy scenarios: 1) the 'business as usual' scenario with a 20% CO2 emission reduction target by 2020, where all the energy policies suggested by Sustainable Energy Action Plans have been considered; 2) the 'potential' scenario with a 50% CO2 emission reduction target by 2050. Results show that the spreading of renewable energy, as expected, can increase local jobs, although the high investments required and problems connected to the impact on the grid have to be considered in the analysis of the global economic effect
Evaluation of municipal energy planning contribution for the fulfilment of regional energy planning strategies
No full textDubrovnik, HR, September 2011 - Paper #095
Optimal management of renewable and fossil fuel energy systems in a smart community
No full textThe present paper focuses on the energy aspects related to sustainable communities aimed at becoming smart. In particular, the paper discusses optimal strategies for the management of renewable energy systems (RES) and fossil fuel energy systems. Marche Region, one of the 21 Italian administrative divisions, has been taken as a reference case in order to compare different strategies. The area is characterized by a high percentage of electricity imported from the grid, suggesting the importance of increasing the local production to become sustainable. The year 2020 has been taken as the target year. An energy model of the area has been built considering RES potential and energy saving initiatives defined in the Regional Energy Master Plan. The model has been developed with EnergyPLAN, an optimization tool developed by Aalborg University and used to assess energy systems Three different solutions for the integration of RES and the minimization of fossil fuel consumption have been considered: i) a Demand Side Management technique related to the introduction of heat pumps seeking to use the excess of electricity derived from renewable production; ii) the use of micro-CHP systems in buildings to compensate for the variability of RES production; iii) the introduction of EVs with dump and smart charge. The best results come from HPs and EVs with smart charge, which are able to reduce the electricity in excess and minimize the primary energy consumption, in particular when a high share of intermittent renewable is introduced
Assessing the impact of micro-generation technologies on local sustainability
No full textThe work addresses the role of local energy planning for the introduction of low carbon policies to
achieve challenging climate targets. Taking as reference case an urban area that aims to become Sustainable
Community, several initiatives have been assessed. Two target years, 2020 and 2050, have been analysed
with the aid of EnergyPlan, an integrated energy system model based on the hourly energy demand
and supply able to consider constraints deriving from grid stability. The effects of climate change, defined
by a regional climate model, have been analysed in the long-term scenario. The work focuses on the
impact of a high share of micro-generation technologies for satisfying the energy demand of the building
sector, following an original comprehensive approach that helps a better understanding of the implication
of such low carbon policy. Both solar devices and micro-combined heat and power systems have
been taken into account, the latter covering different technologies (i.e. internal combustion engines, Stirling
engines, microturbines and fuel cells). Results show that the use of a high share of micro-generation
technologies can help to reduce CO2 emissions and enable an increase in large-scale intermittent renewable
production, only if a coordinated local energy plan combined with an optimal operation strategy is
pursued. Moreover the work outlines the importance of developing an integrated energy system for
introducing such technologies that can help to: (i) decarbonise the building sector, (ii) increase energy
security and iii) postpone the investments in new network capacit
Experimental evaluation and dynamic simulation of a ground coupled heat pump for a commercial building
No full textGround coupled heat pump (GCHP) systems are a good alternative to traditional systems for heating and cooling of buildings.
A large number of ground coupled heat pump systems have been used in residential and commercial buildings
throughout the world because of the attractive advantages of high efficiency and environmental friendliness, and a wide
range of system configurations is available today. In this paper, a real application for an office building is presented.
The schematic and main features of the GHCP system under study are outlined. The system was monitored during its operation,
and experimental data are shown. Moreover, a dynamic simulation of the plant was performed by means of
TRNSYS, and theoretical and experimental results are compared. The main purpose of the paper is to put in evidence the
performance of such a system and to compare it with traditional heating/cooling systems. Energy and economic savings
with GCHP operation were obtained. Eventually, a sensitivity analysis for the GCHP design parameters was performed
Comparison of refrigeration cycles with natural refrigerants for very rapid food freezing
No full textIn the industrial refrigeration natural refrigerants are gaining more and more importance, mainly because of increasing environmental concerns. In this work food processing applications are considered, with particular reference to very rapid freezing refrigeration, for which a temperature of -70°C is needed. Two alternative technologies are presented: (i) an open air cycle freezer; (ii) a cascade cycle using CO2 or blends of CO2 and natural refrigerants as low temperature working fluid. A comparison between the two technologies is performed. The purpose of the paper is to outline the main features of each system, comparing them on a technical point of view on the basis of theoretical models and experimental results on existing prototype units
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