Novel Use of Green Hydrogen Fuel Cell-Based Combined Heat and Power Systems to Reduce Primary Energy Intake and Greenhouse Emissions in the Building Sector

Jordi Renau, Víctor García, Luis Domenech, Pedro Verdejo, Antonio Real, Alberto Giménez, Fernando Sánchez, Antonio Lozano and Félix Barreras
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Jordi Renau: Technical School of Design, Architecture and Engineering (ESET), Cardenal Herrera CEU University (UCHCEU)—CEU Universities, C/San Bartolomé 55, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain
Víctor García: Technical School of Design, Architecture and Engineering (ESET), Cardenal Herrera CEU University (UCHCEU)—CEU Universities, C/San Bartolomé 55, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain
Luis Domenech: Technical School of Design, Architecture and Engineering (ESET), Cardenal Herrera CEU University (UCHCEU)—CEU Universities, C/San Bartolomé 55, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain
Pedro Verdejo: Technical School of Design, Architecture and Engineering (ESET), Cardenal Herrera CEU University (UCHCEU)—CEU Universities, C/San Bartolomé 55, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain
Antonio Real: Technical School of Design, Architecture and Engineering (ESET), Cardenal Herrera CEU University (UCHCEU)—CEU Universities, C/San Bartolomé 55, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain
Alberto Giménez: Technical School of Design, Architecture and Engineering (ESET), Cardenal Herrera CEU University (UCHCEU)—CEU Universities, C/San Bartolomé 55, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain
Fernando Sánchez: Technical School of Design, Architecture and Engineering (ESET), Cardenal Herrera CEU University (UCHCEU)—CEU Universities, C/San Bartolomé 55, 46115 Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain
Antonio Lozano: LIFTEC, CSIC-University of Zaragoza, C/María de Luna 10, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Félix Barreras: LIFTEC, CSIC-University of Zaragoza, C/María de Luna 10, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-19

Abstract: Achieving European climate neutrality by 2050 requires further efforts not only from the industry and society, but also from policymakers. The use of high-efficiency cogeneration facilities will help to reduce both primary energy consumption and CO 2 emissions because of the increase in overall efficiency. Fuel cell-based cogeneration technologies are relevant solutions to these points for small- and microscale units. In this research, an innovative and new fuel cell-based cogeneration plant is studied, and its performance is compared with other cogeneration technologies to evaluate the potential reduction degree in energy consumption and CO 2 emissions. Four energy consumption profile datasets have been generated from real consumption data of different dwellings located in the Mediterranean coast of Spain to perform numerical simulations in different energy scenarios according to the fuel used in the cogeneration. Results show that the fuel cell-based cogeneration systems reduce primary energy consumption and CO 2 emissions in buildings, to a degree that depends on the heat-to-power ratio of the consumer. Primary energy consumption varies from 40% to 90% of the original primary energy consumption, when hydrogen is produced from natural gas reforming process, and from 5% to 40% of the original primary energy consumption if the cogeneration is fueled with hydrogen obtained from renewable energy sources. Similar reduction degrees are achieved in CO 2 emissions.

Keywords: hydrogen; PEM fuel cells; cogeneration; building sustainability; energy saving (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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