Integration of Micro-Cogeneration Units and Electric Storages into a Micro-Scale Residential Solar District Heating System Operating with a Seasonal Thermal Storage

Antonio Rosato, Antonio Ciervo, Giovanni Ciampi, Michelangelo Scorpio and Sergio Sibilio
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Antonio Rosato: Department of Architecture and Industrial Design, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81031 Aversa, Italy
Antonio Ciervo: Department of Architecture and Industrial Design, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81031 Aversa, Italy
Giovanni Ciampi: Department of Architecture and Industrial Design, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81031 Aversa, Italy
Michelangelo Scorpio: Department of Architecture and Industrial Design, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81031 Aversa, Italy
Sergio Sibilio: Department of Architecture and Industrial Design, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81031 Aversa, Italy

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 20, 1-40

Abstract: A micro-scale district heating network based on the operation of solar thermal collectors coupled to a long-term borehole thermal storage is modeled, simulated and investigated over a period of five years. The plant is devoted to covering the domestic hot water and space heating demands of a district composed of six typical residential buildings located in Naples (southern Italy). Three alternative natural gas-fueled back-up auxiliary systems (condensing boiler and two different technologies of micro-cogeneration) aiming at balancing the solar energy intermittency are investigated. The utilization of electric storages in combination with the cogeneration systems is also considered with the aim of improving the self-consumption of cogenerated electric energy; heat recovery from the distribution circuit is also evaluated to pre-heat the mains water for domestic hot water production. The performances of the proposed plant schemes are contrasted with those of a typical Italian decentralized heating plant (based on the utilization of natural gas-fueled non-condensing boilers). The comparison highlighted that the proposed configurations can decrease the primary energy consumption (up to 11.3%), the equivalent emissions of carbon dioxide (up to 11.3%), and the operation costs (up to 14.3%), together with an acceptable simple pay-back period (about 4.4 years).

Keywords: solar energy; auxiliary back-up technology; long-term borehole thermal storage; micro-scale district heating network; electric storage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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